Franklin County tax base sees 7% jump
Based on good faith estimates submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue in advance of this week’s preliminary valuations, Franklin County’s tax base looks to be about 7 percent greater than last year.
Property Appraiser Rhonda Skipper’s office estimates that Franklin County has seen growth of about 7.1 percent, a roughly $215.5 million increase to $3.26 billion, from last year’s $3.05 billion.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District, which runs along the lines of the county numbers, will see growth of about 6.8 percent, a roughly $207.8 million increase to $3.26 billion, from last year’s $3.06 billion.
The school district, which allows for fewer exemptions and no cap on valuations of non-homesteaded properties, will see growth of 6.5 percent, a hike of roughly $248.4 million from last year’s $3.81 billion to this year’s $4.06 billion.
Of the other taxing authorities, growth in Eastpoint was the most robust, as the tax base of the Eastpoint Water and Sewer District has grown 8.3 percent, a $9.5 jump from $113.8 million last year to this year’s $123.3 million
The city of Apalachicola is expected to see a 6.6 percent increase in its tax base, or about $16.1 million, from $244.5 million to $260.5 million.
Carrabelle’s growth was smaller, about 4.8 percent, from $174.3 million last year to $182.7 million.
The Alligator Point Water District saw 6.9 percent growth, or about $13.7 million, from $199.2 million last year to $212.9 million this year.
The smallest growth in the county was seen on Dog Island, which grew by 3.1 percent, or about $960,000, from $30.9 million to $31.9 million.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.