Page 10 - Hobe Sound Reflections- July '24

Page 10, Hobe Sound

local GoverNmeNt

Martin County Is Counting owners’ exemptions and Save Our Homes benefits. This
On YOU, VOTE Aug. 20! can lead to a significant discrepancy in the escrow payment
and not necessarily what the new buyer may expect to pay
in taxes the following year, which will be based on market
In the state of Florida sales prices.
voters have the option to The Property Tax Estimator, New Homebuyer Timeline
decide how they are going handout, and the New Homebuyer educational video are
to cast their vote … by mail, resources available to educate and assist new homebuyers
by voting early, or by voting when estimating their own property taxes before they make
at their assigned precinct the purchase, so they may prepare for the financial impact.
on Election Day. Here is
some important information Martin County Tax Collector
regarding these three ways
to vote to help you decide by Public Safety
what method you are going
to choose to cast your votes We Care About The People
for the upcoming Aug. 20 election: We Serve
• The Martin County Elections Office located at 135 S.E. We have an emergency
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Stuart and the Elisabeth Lahti management team at Pictured here next to Ruth Pietruszewski, Martin County
Library located in Indiantown Saturday, Aug. 10 through the Martin County Tax Tax Collector, is George, a long-term and quintessential
Saturday, Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. These dates do Collector’s office to maintain member of our emergency management team. George has
include Sunday, Aug. 11. safe standards in any kind of taken the SKYWARN classes to further his knowledge of
• Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested crisis. We have a plan for weather events, allowing educated decisions to be made
through Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. hurricanes, tornadoes, fire when facing a weather event, such as whether we should
• When voting in-person voters drills, active shooters and close operations, how soon we should lock down, and how
should remember to bring photo and more. Staff can find these long we should stay closed, taking into account the safety of
signature identification when voting early plans quickly on their desktop computer monitors or posters our constituents and staff.
or when voting at their assigned precinct hanging on the walls of the office, which contain step-by-
on Election Day. step instructions. Local Government on page 11
• Secure Ballot Intake Stations (drop boxes) will be
available during early voting at both locations for voters to
hand deliver their voted mail ballot.
As your Supervisor of Elections, it is my goal to provide
the best possible voting experience!
Vicki Davis,
Martin County Supervisor of Elections

Martin County Property How much will you
Appraiser’s Office need to retire?

There Is More Significance To “January 1”
Than Celebrating New Year’s Day! Call to schedule a

By Jenny Fields, CFA, Martin one-on-one.
County Property Appraiser,
3473 S.E. Willoughby Blvd.,
Suite No. 101, Stuart, Sally S Stahl, AAMS™
FL 34994 Financial Advisor
(772) 288-5608 1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
www.pa.martin.fl.us Jupiter, FL 33458
When it comes to ad 561-748-7600
valorem property taxes in Sally.Stahl@edwardjones.com
Florida, everything revolves
around a date of assessment
of January 1. When you
receive your tax bill in November, those taxes are based on a
snapshot of your property valuation which took place eleven “Who will clean
months prior on January 1. As a result, the property appraiser
studies the previous year’s real estate market activities and
transactions to establish the current year values. up the mess if
Florida law goes on to say that the taxability of newly
constructed improvements is determined based on whether they
were substantially complete as of January 1. For example, if you don’t draft
you are putting in a new swimming pool that is not complete
until February 2024, then the tax bill you receive in November
2024 would not reflect the additional taxes for your pool a Will?”
because the pool wasn’t done by January 1, 2024. The value of
the pool would be added the following year and the additional
taxes would be reflected on your November 2025 tax bill.
The eligibility of all property tax exemptions is also
determined based on whether you qualify on or before January
1. To qualify for the Homestead Exemption, you would have
to own the home and make it your primary residence as of
January 1 of the tax year that you apply. Likewise, if you
apply for the Limited Income Senior Exemption, which has
an age requirement of 65 years old, you will have to be age
65 on or before January 1 of the year you apply.
Agricultural classification is a tax savings benefit for
property owners that use their land primarily for bona fide ESTATE & BUSINESS PLANNING
commercial agricultural use. This benefit results in the land PROBATE, GUARDIANSHIP & TRUST ADMINISTRATION
being valued based on the probable income, which is often
substantially less than market value. But to qualify for this PROBATE & GUARDIANSHIP FOR PERSONAL INJURY FIRMS
benefit, the agricultural use must be in place on or before FAMILY LAW • REAL ESTATE
Evening and Saturday Appointments Available
January 1 of the year you apply. RiverPlace Professional Center
The January 1 date of assessment greatly affects new
homebuyers. The reason is that the property tax estimate shown 1003 W. Indiantown Road - Suite 210 • Jupiter, FL 33458-6851
on real estate listing sites are misused to calculate the closing
costs and the tax escrow portion of mortgage payments.
When a buyer purchases a home after January 1, they
will receive a first-year tax bill that is based on the previous