Property appraiser explains TRIM notices
Matt Caldwell knew he would have a hard act to follow after the four-decade run of his predecessor Ken Wilkinson at the Lee County Property Appraiser’s office.
However, he is very quickly putting his stamp on the way things happen there.
Caldwell addressed a well-attended North Fort Myers Civic Association meeting Tuesday and spoke about his job, what it entails and how the many exceptions in the ad valorem tax rules in the state can really benefit property owners if they look hard enough.
Caldwell went over the process of how Lee County residents are taxed. The tax collector sends you the bill, collects the money and sends it where it needs to go. The entities who get the money determine the tax rate while Caldwell’s office determines what the taxable valuation of each property is.
“I have only two bosses, you and the governor. You are the only people who can fire me,” Caldwell said. “You are the only one I respond to. Our job is to be your advocate.”
It was good timing for the information, since property owners are set to receive TRIM, or Truth in Millage, notices. TRIM notices inform property owners of what the millage rates are proposed to be from various taxing entities, who taxes you, what each entities’ proposed tax rate is, what the assessed value of your property is, its taxable valuation, and — most important to many — what you will owe in ad valorem and other taxes will be should those tax rates and assessment levels be approved at upcoming public hearings.
Caldwell’s office spends eight months starting Jan. 1 determining property values. That date signifies who gets the homestead exemption at that certain address.
“We put together everything we know about the sales that happened the year before. We researched as much as we could every piece of property sold in the county,” Caldwell said, adding there are nearly 550,000 parcels they have to evaluate.
Property owners have the right to appeal the valuation placed on their property. Individuals who have questions about their property value can call Caldwell’s office.
The county has around 2,000 appeals per year regarding property values, which Caldwell called a pretty good number considering the number of parcels.
Property owners have 25 days after the TRIM notice arrives to file an appeal. In Lee County a magistrate is brought in the decide on the appeal, a process that goes from August to as late as February. You can even appeal that decision to the circuit court, but those are very rare and usually entail commercial property, Caldwell said.
Of course, the homestead exemption has become very important this year with the unprecedented increase in property values, with many seeing an increase of 20 percent or more. The homestead exemption limits the taxable valuation increase to percent; it is capped at 10 percent for those without the exemption.
There are many other exemptions as well. Perhaps the biggest one is for low-income seniors who have lived in the same house for 25 years. Those who qualify for the additional exemption likely will not have to pay property taxes.
“We don’t want to see people have to leave their home because they can no longer afford to live there,” Caldwell said.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com