County, Kissimmee millage rates unchanged

With local governments in the process of forming their Fiscal Year 2023 budgets, tax revenue will only be affected by property values, as Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee have announced their millage rates will not change from prior years.

Osceola County’s overall proposed tax rate will remain at 8.2308 mills for the general fund, EMS, library and environmental lands under the county’s recommended budget. The General Fund millage rate of 6.7 mils is proposed at the same rate for the 12th year in a row.

Kissimmee’s millage rate will remain at 4.6253 mills, as announced at last week’s budget workshop, for the 13th year in a row, city officials said.

A millage rate is one tenth of a percent, which equals $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in home value.

 “During the preparation of the FY23 Budget, the County experienced a return to pre-pandemic revenues impacted by the global pandemic such as Tourist Development Taxes, Tolls, State Shared Revenues, Local Government Half-Cent Sales Taxes, and Gas Taxes with an increase in property valuations of 16.9 percent over FY22, which is a significant percent increase when compared to historical valuations,” County Manager Don Fisher said in an overview of the proposed budget. “Although revenues have returned to pre-pandemic levels, economic trends continue to be evaluated for inflation, and recessionary impacts on the County’s revenue streams and adjustments to the projections will be continuously evaluated until budget adoption.” 

The budget allocates federal recovering funding: $35.4 million for the extension of utilities and roads, $12.5 million for workforce development and scholarships (such as Osceola Prosper), $15 million to assist the recovery of the tourism industry, and $5 million in targeted recovery efforts dedicated for local, specific projects.

While the construction of new fire stations near Austin-Tindall Sports Complex and in the 535/192 was included in the current budget, Fiscal Year ’23 includes adding 30 firefighters to staff them.

A public hearing on the 2023 budget and proposed tax rates will be held Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Chambers.

Kissimmee’s millage rate is lower than a little more than half of other Florida municipalities, records show, and results in a proposed $241 million budget for Fiscal Year 2023.

The city will hold public hearings on the proposed operating budget on Sept. 13 and 27 at City Hall.