Local taxing authorities (City, County, School Board) set a “millage rate” annually. One mill is equal to $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value of property (determined by the county property appraiser).

The total bills is calculated as:
(Total Taxable Value x Total Millage Rate) ÷ 1,000

No. Your total property tax bill is shared among several agencies. On average, for every dollar you pay in property taxes:

• 43 cents goes to the Sarasota County School District
• 21 cents goes to Sarasota County Government
• 9 cents goes to other districts and public agencies
• 27 cents stays with the City of Venice                                 

Ad valorem means "according to value" - these are traditional property taxes calculated as a percentage of your property's taxable value. Non ad valorem means "not according to value" - these are flat fees assessed to your property to cover specific services or infrastructure, regardless of how much your home is worth. Non ad valorem taxes will not be affected by this proposed change.

Currently, no non ad valorem assessments are imposed within Venice City limits.

The ad valorem property taxes collected by the City go into the general fund, the primary operating fund used to pay for:

• Police
• Fire and emergency medical services (EMS)
• Parks and recreation facilities
• Planning and zoning, and code enforcement
• Maintenance of City facilities
• Public buildings
• Staff and operational systems
• City technology and cybersecurity

In Fiscal Year 2026, public safety (police and fire/EMS) is estimated to cost about $35.7 million, or approximately 58% of the general fund.

The estimated annual taxes for 2027 that are paid to the City of Venice for a home with a taxable value of $413,600 are $1,741.35 (or $145.11 per month). The chart below illustrates what you are “purchasing” each month with your tax payment. 

"General Government" includes Mayor/Council, City Manager’s Office, City Clerk's Office, City Attorney, Human Resources, Finance, Planning/Zoning & Historical Resources, Engineering, and IT (Information Technology)

The general fund makes up only a portion of the City's overall budget. There are several other "special revenue" and "enterprise" funds that collect revenues that can only be used for specific purposes - for instance, the Building Permit Fees Fund (special revenue) and Airport, Water and Sewer Utility, Solid Waste, and Stormwater Drainage (enterprise). Revenues collected for these purposes should not be used to fund other services or balance the general fund budget.

Similarly, the City collects impact fees from developers, but these are legally restricted and can only be used to fund new or expanded capital infrastructure necessitated by population growth. The City can't use developer impact fees to pay for operations or staffing that is currently funded by property taxes.

The Florida Legislature approved a joint resolution that will place a property tax constitutional amendment on the November 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide. The constitutional amendment (HJR 1F) requires 60% voter approval to pass.

It would create a new “super homestead” exemption on non-school property taxes for Florida homeowners. The exemption would start at $150,000 on Jan. 1, 2027, increase to $250,000 on Jan. 1, 2028, and then grow annually with inflation.

No, the amendment does not apply to ad valorem school taxes. They will still be collected.

Yes, the amendment could impact public safety funding. An earlier version of the amendment that protected public safety was not advanced by the Florida Legislature. In Venice, property taxes fund both the Venice Police Department and Venice Fire Rescue, and both could be affected by reduced property tax revenues in the general fund if the amendment is passed.

A city budget consists of numerous distinct funds, rather than a single large account. Money comes from sources such as utility payments, building permit fees, and impact fees paid by developers. Each fund is subject to legal constraints and must be used only for its designated purpose.

Property taxes largely support the general fund, which is less than a third of the City's overall budget but pays for core public services. When property tax revenue declines, the general fund absorbs the impact because those other restricted funds generally cannot be used to make up the difference. The utilities fees we collect from water and sewer customers can only be used to fund utilities. Building permit fees can only go toward the Building Department. The impact fees we collect from developers can only be used to pay for capital improvements for new growth, and they can't go toward operations or staffing.

If the amount of property taxes contributed to the general fund is reduced, there may be impacts to these services and how they get funded, including:

• Deferred maintenance of facilities and infrastructure
• Reduced capacity for capital projects and growth-related investments
• Reduced staffing and service levels in quality-of-life programs, facilities maintenance, planning and development and cybersecurity
• Adjusted support functions for police, fire and EMS
• Adjusted emergency management and disaster response capabilities
• Explore creation of special assessments such as a fire assessment fee and park and recreation assessments
• Increased reliance on fees or other charges to sustain services
• Adjustment in shared County services, which include libraries, regional parks, Breeze transit, and lifeguard services