Page 4 - Palm City Spotlight - July '24

Page 4, Palm City Spotlight

local GovernMent

Martin County Tax Collector

Public Safety

We Care About The People
We Serve
We have an emergency
management team at
the Martin County Tax
Collector’s office to maintain
safe standards in any kind
of crisis. We have a plan for
hurricanes, tornadoes, fire
drills, active shooters and
more. Staff can find these
plans quickly on their desktop computer monitors or posters We used our tornado plan for the first time this month office. Staff calmly followed the plan and kept both the staff
hanging on the walls of the office, which contain step-by-step at our Hobe Sound office when a tornado hit the area. The and customers safe.
instructions. tornado struck while we were open with customers in the Education and being prepared with a plan makes a difference!

Martin County Is Counting Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On YOU, VOTE Aug. 20! These dates do include Sunday, Aug. 11.
• Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested through
Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
In the state of Florida • When voting in-person voters should remember to
voters have the option bring photo and signature identification when voting early
to decide how they are or when voting at their assigned precinct on Election Day.
going to cast their vote • Secure Ballot Intake Stations (drop boxes) will be
… by mail, by voting available during early voting at both locations for voters
early, or by voting at to hand deliver their voted mail ballot.
their assigned precinct As your Supervisor of Elections, it is my goal to
on Election Day. Here provide the best possible voting experience!
is some important Vicki Davis,
information regarding Martin County Supervisor of Elections
these three ways to vote
to help you decide by
what method you are going to choose to cast your votes
for the upcoming Aug. 20 election:
• The Martin County Elections Office located at
135 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Stuart and the
Elisabeth Lahti Library located in Indiantown Saturday,
Pictured here next to Ruth Pietruszewski, Martin County
Tax Collector, is George, a long-term and quintessential
member of our emergency management team. George has Martin County Property the additional taxes would be reflected on your November
taken the SKYWARN classes to further his knowledge of 2025 tax bill.
weather events, allowing educated decisions to be made Appraiser’s Office The eligibility of all property tax exemptions is also
when facing a weather event, such as whether we should determined based on whether you qualify on or before January
close operations, how soon we should lock down, and how There Is More Significance To “January 1” 1. To qualify for the Homestead Exemption, you would have
long we should stay closed, taking into account the safety of Than Celebrating New Year’s Day! to own the home and make it your primary residence as of
our constituents and staff. January 1 of the tax year that you apply. Likewise, if you
By Jenny Fields, CFA, apply for the Limited Income Senior Exemption, which has
Martin County Property an age requirement of 65 years old, you will have to be age
Appraiser, 3473 S.E. 65 on or before January 1 of the year you apply.
Willoughby Blvd., Suite No. Agricultural classification is a tax savings benefit for
101, Stuart, FL 34994 property owners that use their land primarily for bona fide
(772) 288-5608 commercial agricultural use. This benefit results in the land
www.pa.martin.fl.us being valued based on the probable income, which is often
When it comes to ad substantially less than market value. But to qualify for this
valorem property taxes in benefit, the agricultural use must be in place on or before
Florida, everything revolves January 1 of the year you apply.
around a date of assessment of The January 1 date of assessment greatly affects new
January 1. When you receive homebuyers. The reason is that the property tax estimate shown
your tax bill in November, those taxes are based on a snapshot on real estate listing sites are misused to calculate the closing
of your property valuation which took place eleven months costs and the tax escrow portion of mortgage payments.
prior on January 1. As a result, the property appraiser studies When a buyer purchases a home after January 1, they
the previous year’s real estate market activities and transactions will receive a first-year tax bill that is based on the previous
to establish the current year values. owners’ exemptions and Save Our Homes benefits. This can
List Your Home For 2.5%! Florida law goes on to say that the taxability of newly lead to a significant discrepancy in the escrow payment and
not necessarily what the new buyer may expect to pay in taxes
constructed improvements is determined based on whether
the following year, which will be based on market sales prices.
they were substantially complete as of January 1. For
List Your Home For 2.5%! example, if you are putting in a new swimming pool that is The Property Tax Estimator, New Homebuyer Timeline
handout, and the New Homebuyer educational video are
not complete until February 2024, then the tax bill you receive
resources available to educate and assist new homebuyers
in November 2024 would not reflect the additional taxes for
You no longer must
Y ou no longer must your pool because the pool wasn’t done by January 1, 2024. when estimating their own property taxes before they make
pay the buyer's The value of the pool would be added the following year and the purchase, so they may prepare for the financial impact.
pay the buyer's
agent!
agent!
SELL YOUR HOME
Using the latest and most advanced
marketing technologies

Call Jim at

772-341-2941

Jim Weix, Broker Associate
309 SE Osceola St., Suite 204, Stuart