MOUNT DORA TAX UPDATE: aUGUST 25, 2025

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4 representative

​Building and approving the City's budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 is one of City Council's major responsibilities. City staff have worked over the past several months to identify their departments' needs and priorities based upon the Strategic Plan that council has put into place. What follows comes from me as a single city council member. I'm not reporting on behalf of city council as a whole.

I've selected some highlights from the presentation we heard and discussed.

You likely received your TRIM Notice in the mail a few days ago. There were several pages in one envelope. Your TRIM Notice is the page with Lake County Property Appraiser, Mark V. Jordan's name in the top left corner and a light blue box on the top right corner that says, "Do Not Pay This is Not A Bill". This isn't a bill but it represents the highest possible amount that you will pay for your property taxes.

There are 8 distinct taxing entities. The line for Mount Dora is about half way down the Taxing Authority column on the left. I can't speak for the other taxing authorities, but our custom is to propose a millage rate that somewhat higher than we think we will need to pay the bills (that figure is on the right side of the page in column #7), the darker blue column , 6.600 mills. Column #8 is the estimated dollar amount. I believe that when all is said and done on September 16th when the final millage and budget are voted upon, that proposed 6.600 mill rate will be reduced to 6.300 mills.

For my house, the 6.300 mill figure that I anticipate will shave off about $77. Ofcourse, your's will vary based on the tax value of your house and the deductions you might qualify for including things like "Homestead Exemption". Other taxing authorities may also reduce their proposed millage rates. Think of the number circled at the bottom of column #8 as your highest possible Ad Valorem (property tax). It won't go up and will very likely go down a bit.

6.300 mills is the same millage rate that we are currently paying but your Ad Valorem tax bill will be higher than last year because the value of your house has increased somewhat.

Here are some tax facts FYI...

Property taxes (Ad Valorem taxes) account for about 38% of Mount Dora's General Fund Revenues.

Personnel costs (wages and benefits) for city employees make up about 65% of our budget.

Police costs are about 23.5% of the budget. Fire protection is about 14.5%. Public Works is about 9.36%. Parks &                      Recreation is about 13.75% and our Library is about 3.31% of the budget.

Next steps; First Budget Public Hearing September 3rd. at 6:00 p.m. (Tentative Millage and Budget)

Fire Assessment Hearing Thursday, September 11th. at 6:00 p.m.

Second Public Hearing September 16th. at 6:00 p.m. (Final Millage and Budget)

Our quote for today comes by way of Comedian Bill Hicks. "Children are smarter than any of us. Know how I know that? I don't know a single kid with a full-time job and children."

By Marc Crail
Mount Dora City Council, District 4 representative

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