While seasonal residents were away, a group of people from Sun City Center and Kings Point came together to form the Greater Sun City Center Chinese Drywall Coordinating Group. The new task force has spent its time collecting information for homeowners, lobbying on their behalf and even helping affected properties gain a tax break. ...more

November 4, 2009

County Property Appraisals Out Of Line In 2008 property values went down on Hernando Beach by 19.7 percent, although homeowners here on average are getting in the $260,000-range and lower for these homes that they sell. Market values are $40,000 to $80,000 higher than they should be. I complain every year but to no avail. ...more

March 7, 2009

The rapid rate of foreclosures in Florida is starting to change the way county property appraisers do business, and the result could mean a change in home values and property tax bills next year. ...more

December 10, 2008

The rapid rate of foreclosures in Florida is starting to change the way county property appraisers do business, and the result could mean a change in home values and property tax bills next year. The long-held wisdom of county appraisers was to ignore foreclosures when setting property values. But that's all about to change, according to Rob Turner, Hillsborough County property appraiser. ...more

December 9, 2008

On Nov. 4 Florida voters will have to decide the fate of six proposed changes to the state constitution. Each proposed amendment will have to garner at least 60 percent of the vote to be approved. ...more

October 15, 2008

Hernando Today Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles on property values in Hernando County and how they relate to the county's budget process. ...more

May 2, 2008

Bills recently filed in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate that would require independent reviews of land owned by county property appraisers are not a "knee-jerk reaction" to a Pinellas County land scandal, as Pinellas Appraiser Jim Smith claims. ...more

November 9, 2007

SEBRING — When it comes to property tax relief, which the Legislature has promised but not fully provided yet, the state's county property appraisers are giving the lawmakers two bits of advice. First, simple is much better than complicated. And second, a universal tax break is better than knocking taxes down for some types of property but not for others. Highlands County Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre said those two points are the foundation of the proposal which the Property Appraisers Association of Florida is passing on to the Legislature. McIntyre, recently elected president of the appraisers association, said the group is calling for a five percent per year reduction in assessed tax value on all property for the next five years. ...more

October 9, 2007

Now that the Florida Legislature's much-touted property tax relief proposal is in limbo, it is time to take stock and consider alternatives. A proposal created by the state's county property appraisers, which advocates a universal tax break for all property owners , sounds practical and something that could be considered in part if a new plan is ever created. But for this and some other proposals to survive, the Legislature and the voters have to ask themselves a tough question: Is saving Save Our Homes Amendment worth the price it has extracted? ...more

October 9, 2007