Cents & Sensibility: Alachua County’s Budget in Eight Chapters – Chapter 3

With all the discussion happening across Florida about local government budgets, Alachua County is joining the conversation through this series: Cents & Sensibility: Alachua County’s Budget in Eight Chapters.

Chapter 3: Understanding Property Taxes

Recently, there has been considerable discussion statewide regarding property taxes. There is some confusion about the role property taxes play in determining county budgets. Some have likened property taxes to charging rent to people who have paid off their homes. A more logical way to think of property taxes is to consider your utility bills — you own your home, but you still pay for water, electricity, and the internet because you use these services.

Property taxes are how we all pay for our shared ‘utilities’: the roads we drive on, the parks we enjoy, the deputies and firefighters who protect us and the services that keep our county running.


Read Chapter 3: Understanding Property Taxes in full.

Catch up on previous chapters
Read Chapter 2: What is the General Fund.
Read Chapter 1: How You Shape the County Budget.

For more information, contact Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-264-6979 or msexton@alachuacounty.us​.

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