- April 29, 2024
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A property tax break is on the way for certain low-income seniors who meet the qualifications. An exemption was approved Monday by the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners.
To qualify for the exemption, a property owner must be at least 65 years old with an adjusted gross income of $27,590 or less annually. The owner must have lived on the property for at least 25 years, and its just value must be less than $250,000.
In Flagler County, about 3,100 seniors meet the income and age thresholds for the tax break. However, of those seniors, just 3%, or about 91 households, meet the 25-year residency standard.
Critics of the exemption say it is too exclusive because so few households qualify for the exemption. Low-income seniors who would benefit from the tax break but who have only lived in their homes for 23 years, for example, would not qualify.
The exemption is part of a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters last year. The amendment left the authority to local governments to decide whether to implement it. In Flagler County, 63% of voters approved the amendment.
+ County to seek Attorney General’s opinion on vacation rentals
Houses crammed with 20 to 30 people, loud parties, abundant trash: Those are just some of the complaints Flagler County staff hears regularly about vacation rental properties in the area.
The County Commission has long been critical of Florida House Bill 883, which was passed in 2010 as an attempt to give struggling homeowners a way to generate income in harsh economic times by using their homes as vacation rentals.
Its critics say the bill preempts local governments from regulating their vacation rentals. This causes rental properties that become public nuisances and safety hazards, they say. However, the bill’s proponents say that, like all of Florida, Flagler County’s economy depends largely on its tourism revenue, so the rental properties are crucial. In addition, proponents say, government should not be able to mandate what homeowners do with their property.
The properties in question are zoned single-family residences, but the bill allows for properties zoned as such to be used as vacation rentals.
The issue has been a matter of debate since the bill passed in 2010.
Now, county staff will seek an opinion from the Office of the Attorney General about the bill.
“County staff has evaluated the numerous complaints which have been received, and intensive exploration and research has been conducted of all applicable codes, regulations and laws,” a staff report prepared by County Administrator Craig Coffey reads. “As a result of these efforts, county staff has concluded that we are preempted from prohibiting these rental operations.”
This is not helpful to residents who live near such properties, the report says, so the county will seek clarification about the county’s options from the Attorney General.
+ Employees honored for years of service
Four county employees were honored at a Monday meeting of the County Commission for 25 years of service. Honorees were Gina Lemon, who works in growth management, Richard Gordon, who works in engineering, and Eugene Coffie and Eugene Williams Jr., both from the public works department.
