Cape Coral City Council sets fees for lot mowing and more
Cape Coral City Council has set the various assessments to appear on property tax bills.
The first approval Wednesday was the non-ad valorem assessment for lot mowing services and assessment rates for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
Financial Services Director Crystal Feast said the program includes lot mowing, invasive vegetation removal, and burrowing owl trimming on all unimproved lots enrolled in the program.
The program calls for mows 13 times a year for vacant parcels in four districts from February through December. The program also includes pepper tree removal and owl nest trimming. The rates are calculated based on equivalent lot rate based on 5,000 square feet.
“Each district has its own assessment rate. The largest district is south of Pine Island Road,” Feast said.
The annual rate for district one is $70.48, a reduction of $15.94 due to a previous increase to finish Hurricane Ian cleanup; a $3.28 increase to $48.05 for district two; a $4.12 increase to $51.44 for district three; and a $1.42 increase in district four to $44.63.
“The vacant lots, unimproved lots, when a hurricane comes through and debris vegetation, and anything that lands in an unapproved lot, is not reimbursable by FEMA. We utilize the revenues from the lot mowing assessments to clean up the lots. These assessments not only cover the lot mowing – the owners are funding the removal of debris on those lots as well,” City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said.
A standard parcel is two lots.
The annual assessment for district 1 is $140.96, a reduction of $31.88; an increase of $6.56 for district two to $96.10; a $8.24 increase for district three to $102.88; and $89.26 for district four, a $2.84 increase.
The rate for stormwater, $156, an increase from $149, was also approved. The increase will allow the city to increase current lines of service for operations and maintenance, officials said.
The annual assessment rolls for various non-ad valorem (tax billed) assessments ranging from southeast one potable water, wastewater, and irrigation to the utility contribution in aid of construction fee water and wastewater was also approved. The total revenue is projected at $37,703,217.10.
The non-ad valorem assessment roll for assessments imposed to collect certain delinquent water, wastewater, irrigation, fire service non-ad valorem special assessments and capital expansion and contributions in aid of construction loans was also approved
The delinquent deferred assessments are for seven properties, of which total 15 deferred assessment accounts for a total of $354,203.34.
There are 18 properties for delinquent hardship assessments totaling $116,408.44.
There is one property for the delinquent loan – Contribution in Aid of Construction totaling $7,751.67.
The non-ad valorem assessment roll to collect certain previously exempted North 1 West Irrigation non-ad valorem special assessments was also approved.
There were 22 properties incorrectly coded and improperly exempted from paying the North 1 West Irrigation Assessment.
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