Overview

City property tax rates and assessment rates are set forth by the City Commission of Haines City during the budget meetings and public hearings on the budget.

The process begins in June and ends in September. The property tax bills are mailed by the Polk County Tax Collector, the beginning of November each year. The bill consists of the Ad Valorem portion including Haines City and other levying authorities in the county, and is based on a property's Taxable Value. Also included in the bill is the Non-Ad Valorem section based on services provided to the property.

Ad Valorem Taxes

Ad Valorem Taxes are based on the taxable value of property. The millage rate for Fiscal Year 2022-23 is 7.5895 for the Ad Valorem portion of the tax bill.

Non-Ad Valorem Assessments

Clean-Up Assessment

The Clean-up Assessment is for unpaid costs and expenses incurred by the City when the City remedies nuisances and imminent threats on lots, parcels and tracts within Haines City caused by the accumulation of trash, junk, or debris, living and nonliving plant material, stagnant water, and fill on property and when the costs and expenses are not paid timely by the property owner, property agent, custodian, lessee, or occupant. The Clean-up assessment is used to reimburse the City for costs and expenses that it incurred for property clean-up by placing the unpaid amount as a non-ad valorem assessment on the property owner's annual property tax bill.

Demo Assessment

The Demo Assessment is for unpaid costs and expenses incurred by the City for the demolition of unsafe structures. The Demo assessment is used to reimburse the City costs and expenses that it incurred for the demolition of unsafe structures when the costs and expenses are not paid by the property owners by placing the unpaid amount as a non-ad valorem assessment on the property owner's annual property tax bill.

Fire Service Assessment

The Fire Service Assessment is for the provision of fire protection services and facilities. The Fire Assessment for each tax parcel is (i) $0.85 per $1,000 of the value of improvements (not land value) attributed to each tax parcel by the County Property Appraiser's records (Tier 1), plus (ii) $139.93 per tax parcel (Tier 2), together with a with (iii) a collection charge of $5.00. The dollar amount of the special assessment attributable to each tax parcel, less administration and collection costs, is available through the Fire Service Assessment Search.

Stormwater Assessment

The Stormwater Assessment for each tax parcel is used to fund the City's Stormwater Utility including planning, construction, maintenance and administration by an assessment on the property owner's annual property tax bill.