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Dear Neighbor,
If you own property in Fort Lauderdale, then you most likely have received your yearly TRIM (Truth in Millage Rate) notice from the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. A TRIM notice is NOT a tax bill; it simply allows you the opportunity to review your proposed property taxes, assessment, and exemptions to ensure that your November tax bill is correct and that you are receiving the eligible tax-exemptions allotted to your property.
The amount of taxes that you owe is determined by two factors: the assessed value of your property and the tax rate. The Broward County Property Appraiser determines the assessed value of your property; his office does not set the tax rates. The tax rate is determined by the entities that have taxing authority over the community in which your property is located. In Fort Lauderdale, this includes the Broward County Commission, the Broward County School Board, City of Fort Lauderdale Commission, the hospital district, and multi-county districts such as South Florida Water Management. The property appraiser compiles these individual millages proposed by those entities and sends an all-inclusive TRIM notice to every property owner.
As City Staff prepared the budget for FY 2026, they received positive information regarding one of the largest revenue sources: ad valorem (property) taxes. Based on estimates received from the Broward County Property Appraiser’s July 1, 2025 Estimate of Taxable Value report, the City’s property value has increased by 8.5% from $58.5 billion to $63.5 billion. Of the $5.0 billion increase, $1.1 billion is associated with new construction, which is almost double last year’s new construction increase of $596.6 million.
Because of the increase in taxable values, I am very proud to say that the City will maintain its current low millage rate of 4.1193 for the nineteenth consecutive year (unheard of and one of the lowest in Broward County) and produce, year over year, a structurally balanced General Fund Budget.
Each taxing authority is required to hold two public hearings before they set the tax rate. I encourage everyone to attend the annual public meetings and give input on the tax rates being set as several other entities are responsible for a larger portion of your tax bill than the City of Fort Lauderdale. The largest portion of your tax bill is derived from the Broward County Public Schools followed by the Broward County Commission. The taxing authorities’ phone numbers, as well as the dates and times for each of the meetings being held, is included in your TRIM notice. The City of Fort Lauderdale will hold two Budget Hearings in-person at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts on September 3, 2025, and September 12, 2025, at 5:01 P.M.
If you feel that your assessed property value is too high, please contact the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. A representative will be more than happy to speak with you and address your concerns. If after speaking to the property appraiser’s office, you still feel that your market value is too high, you can file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB). The Broward County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) is the independent appeals board that has initial jurisdiction over challenges to any property valuations (the "assessed value"), denials of exemptions, denials of classifications, and other similar matters. The statutory deadline to file with the VAB is September 17, 2025.
Property values and the corresponding tax rate have always been, and will continue to be, a top concern for the residents in our community. As they both serve as the driver for your tax obligation, understanding the methodology for the rates proposed in your TRIM notice is a very important step in joining the conversation and having your voice heard.
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