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Gadsden County commissioners say proposed property-tax amendment could cut roughly $5 million
Summary
At a June 2 workshop commissioners were warned a proposed constitutional amendment on November's ballot could reduce Gadsden County revenue by about $5 million using current property values; the board scheduled a focused workshop with the property appraiser and county associations to clarify which property classes are affected.
At a June 2 workshop, members of the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners were told a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would change how property taxes are calculated "will need 60% to pass," and could reduce county revenues by roughly $5,000,000 based on current values.
A committee member (S4) told the board the estimate was calculated "using this year's property values and our current millage rate," and that the county should expect immediate fiscal impacts if the amendment is implemented as of today. An agency official from the property-appraiser office (S5) provided the underlying figures, saying the county's taxable value is about $2,500,000,000 and that applying 9 mills would levy about $23,306,664 — numbers staff used to illustrate the potential shortfall.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the revenue loss could squeeze services funded locally, singling out potential cuts to sheriff patrol support and EMS contributions. "The sheriff department's gonna get hit hard," the chair (S1) said, noting past board commitments of supplementing public safety and emergency medical services that may no longer be affordable under the projected reduction.
What the board directed: Commissioners agreed to convene an expedited, focused workshop to gather complete data and invited the property appraiser and county associations to present. The board discussed holding the property-focused meeting on June 9 and the regular budget workshop on June 11 so directors can present reduction exercises and clarify which property classes (homestead, rentals, condos, second homes) are included under the amendment's language.
Commissioners also discussed coordinating outreach and standardized materials through county associations and lobbyists so constituent messaging is consistent. Several members asked staff to provide detailed breakdowns at the workshop and to ensure the property appraiser appears to explain how the figures were calculated.
Next steps: The board set the expedited discussion for the coming week and asked staff to assemble property-appraisal detail and budget-reduction scenarios for commissioners to review at the scheduled meetings.
