HEALTH

SJRWMD approves fiscal year 2020-21 budget, cuts tax rate for 8th consecutive year

Treasure Coast Newspapers

The St. Johns River Water Management District board Tuesday approved a $242 million budget for fiscal year 2020-21 and reduced the property tax rate for an eighth consecutive year.

The budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 is about 23.4% more than the current year’s budget; and the tax rate is about 5.3% less than the current year’s rate.

Bob Ringier, of Winter Park, is seen in an aerial photo fishing from his kayak along the northwest bank of Headwaters Lake on Feb. 5, 2019, in Indian River County. Construction on the boat ramp for the lake, which is a St. Johns River Water Management District project, is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 and be complete by February 2020.

The district, which includes Indian River County, has adopted "rolled-back" tax rates rate since 2013-14. The lower rates are calculated to produce as much income as the previous year by taking increased property values into account.

Some homeowners may pay more tax if their property was recently assessed at a higher value.

The new tax rate of 22.87 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value means the owner of a $200,000 house with a $50,000 homestead exemption would pay $34.31 in the coming year in property taxes to the district.

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The budget will fund the district’s major programs, including water supply planning, priority water body and springs restoration and continued cost-share partnerships supporting local communities’ water quality, water supply and flood protection projects.

“Through continued partnerships between the district and local governments and agriculture, we can achieve more for the benefit of Florida’s environment,” said district Executive Director Ann Shortelle. “The new budget dedicates nearly $148 million to cooperative funding projects — an unprecedented number of projects — while also demonstrating responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Graphic shows property tax rates levied by the St. Johns River Water Management District for fiscal year 2020-21.

Since 2014, the district’s cost-share partnership efforts have provided about 167 million gallons per day of alternative water supply, protected more than 5,400 acres from flooding and removed nearly 2.2 million pounds of nitrogen and about 407,000 pounds of phosphorus from waterways each year.

More:Headwaters Lake boat launch opens

The tax will contribute nearly $90.8 million to the budget, which also is funded through state, federal and other district sources such as timber sales, cattle leases, interest earnings and permit fees.

The final budget will be available online after Oct. 2 on the district’s website, sjrwmd.com.

Tyler Treadway is an environment reporter who specializes in issues facing the Indian River Lagoon. Support his work on TCPalm.com. Contact him at 772-221-4219 and tyler.treadway@tcpalm.com.