Manatee Commissioners Approve Property Tax Rate Reduction

The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 10 to reduce the county’s property tax rate, giving residents a small break on their annual bills while reducing county revenues by an estimated $3.7 million.

For the owner of a single-family home valued at $440,000 — the county’s median — the cut will save about $22 a year. The change lowers the millage rate by 0.05 mills, equal to 5 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value. Commissioners approved the measure by a 6-1 vote, with Tal Siddique opposed.

The decision follows scrutiny from state officials over county spending and reserves. In July, the Florida Department of Government Efficiency launched a financial audit of Manatee County after Gov. Ron DeSantis raised concerns about rising tax revenues and nearly $1 billion in reserves.

According to the county’s budget presentation, reserves are projected to reach $963 million in fiscal year 2026, up from about $642 million in 2023 and $597 million in 2020. County Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean said some of the funds are restricted for specific uses, such as tourism promotion, and that healthy reserves are necessary to cover emergencies like last year’s hurricane season, which cost the county more than $110 million.

The county’s fiscal year 2026 budget outlook totals $3.58 billion gross, or $1.36 billion net. About $491.5 million of that is expected to come from property tax revenue. Commissioners who supported the cut said the reduction, though modest, demonstrates a commitment to returning funds to taxpayers, while others raised concerns about future needs and fiscal stability.