On August 20, 2021, the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s Office will be mailing TRUTH IN MILLAGE notices. These notices are often referred to as "TRIM" notices. Every property owner in Citrus County will receive a TRIM notice as required by law. Your TRIM notice is for informational purposes only. It is NOT a bill. Please do not throw away your TRIM notice – I ask you to read it carefully.

What is a TRIM notice?  A TRIM notice tells you the taxable or just value of your property as of January 1 of the previous year. As discussed in previous articles, taxable value is the just value or market value less any exemptions that a property owner may have on their property. Although market conditions may have changed recently, the TRIM notice considers sales that occurred in 2020 (prior to January 1, 2021) on the TRIM notice you will be receiving in the mail.

There is essential information on the TRIM notice such as property identifiers, property values, taxing authorities, last year’s tax rate, the tax rate this year if no budget change is made, the tax rate if proposed budget change is made, assessment reductions/additions, and contact information. The TRIM notice also provides information regarding public meetings to discuss tentative budgets to set your millage tax rates. If you have an existing homestead exemption, any increase to your assessment may be limited to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is 1.4% this year – unless there is any new construction on your home or parcel. This is due to the “Save Our Homes” Amendment 10 to the Florida Constitution. You can read more about CPI and Save Our Homes through the Florida Department of Revenue at www.floridarevenue.com/proprerty.

The TRIM notice is NOT A BILL. It is extremely important that you open your TRIM notice(s).  One significant task I ask all home owners to complete is to analyze your TRIM notice data for accuracy, including the physical and mailing addresses. We receive many returned TRIM notices from property owners who have not updated their information. If you are eligible for homestead exemption and have not filed for homestead exemption, I strongly urge you to apply on our website or call or visit one of our offices in Inverness or Crystal River.

TRIM notices can also be viewed online starting on August 20, 2021 on our website www.citruspa.org. Once you reach our homepage, on the right side of the screen under “Quick Links” click the “Search Parcel Database” tab and enter your parcel ID in the ALTKEY field or simply search by your address.

What do you do if you feel your property value on your TRIM notice is not accurate?  The goal of our staff at the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s Office is to ensure your property is appraised accurately and equitably. If you feel your value is inaccurate, the first option is to contact our office for a detailed explanation of your TRIM notice by speaking with one of our customer service representatives or certified appraisers. We are happy to communicate with you about your value. Our contact information is on your TRIM notice.

The second option is to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB). The purpose of the VAB is to hear appeals regarding property value assessments, denied exemptions or classifications, ad valorem tax deferrals, portability decisions, and change of ownership or control. The VAB consists of two members of the Board of County Commissioners, one member of the Citrus County School Board, and two citizens of Citrus County. You can file petitions with the VAB through the Citrus County Clerk of Court’s Office. You must file the petition with the VAB by the deadline listed on your TRIM notice.  The VAB appoints a special magistrate, who is a qualified real estate appraiser or attorney, to conduct the informal hearings on petitions challenging assessments or exemption denials.  Like you, the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s Office would simply be a participant at the hearing in front of the VAB.  As I stated in earlier articles, the Property Appraiser’s Office (nor the VAB) sets the millage rate - nor does either party have jurisdiction over taxes. You can visit the Citrus County Clerk of Court’s website for VAB information at www.citrusclerk.org.

All property owner’s final tax bill from the Citrus County Tax Collector’s Office, as prescribed by law, will be mailed on or before November 1^st.  My biggest goal is to continually educate our citizens regarding the property appraiser’s office duties and functions. I look forward to providing you with the tools necessary via our website, our social media page, and through various community outreach programs and speaking engagements – I promise to keep striving for this goal each and every year that I am fortunate enough to be your property appraiser. 

I look forward to providing you with important information in the upcoming months on our website, social media, and through various community outreach programs.  Please check our various social media platforms for upcoming events and information.  As always, our customer service staff is available to answer questions in both offices. In Inverness, please call (352) 341-6600 and in Crystal River, please call (352) 564-7130.  You can also visit the Property Appraiser’s website www.citruspa.org or Facebook/Instagram page @citruscountyflpropertyappr.