Lion statues guard St. Augustine's iconic Bridge of Lions. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
Published on July 15, 2025 at 4:14 pm
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St. Augustine residents and business owners may see an increase in their property taxes this October if the City Commission approves the tax rate proposed this week.
City leaders will continue to debate the finer points of the city’s 2025-2026 budget in the coming months. To start those discussions, municipalities must set a tentative tax rate.
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That rate is set at 7.5 mills, and it is a 2% increase over the tax rate the city would need to adopt to keep revenues — and property taxes — the same as last year: 7.3513 mills. That rate is also known as the rolled-back rate.
A millage rate of 7.5 would mean that a homeowner pays $7.50 for every $1,000 of their home’s property value. There are some exceptions to the rule, like deductions homeowners receive if their home is their permanent residence.
City leaders on Monday tentatively approved the same tax rate the city has maintained for 10 years, but due to rising property values, it would mean that the city takes in an additional $1.6 million in revenue compared with last year.
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Property values are rising, St. Johns County Property Appraiser Eddie Creamer says, but not as dramatically as they were in recent years.
Creamer says mortgage rates have a lot to do with that.
“Over the past 18 months or so, mortgage rates have increased pretty dramatically. As mortgage rates go up, housing becomes a little less affordable,” he says.
Over the last decade, property values have increased in St. Johns County by about 165%, Creamer says. This year, property values are still up, but by about 10% across St. Johns County and 8% in St. Augustine’s city limits.
St. Augustine’s budget isn’t set in stone yet. The City Commission may choose to adopt a lower tax rate than the one set Monday night.
City leaders encouraged people to attend upcoming budget workshops when the City Commission will discuss the budget for the coming fiscal year in depth. Those workshops will begin at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 28. Discussions about the budget may continue into the next day, Aug. 29.
Budget workshops will be held in the Alcazar Room at 75 King Street and broadcast live on the city’s website.
