In recent years, Jacksonville has questioned whether beaches residents pay enough taxes to the county in exchange for servies provided by the county. As a result, Jacksonville elected officials and auditors have decided to audit the interlocal agreement between Jacksonville and the beaches.
The interlocal agreement was created in 1982 after the beach cities fought with the City of Jacksonville over the ways taxes and government services were shared. In 1996, the interlocal agreement was amended after the beaches filed a lawsuit against Jacksonville for breach of the 1982 interlocal agreement.
Do you know where do your tax dollars go?
If you look at your property tax (TRIM) documentation, you will see that your property taxes are distributed as follows:
For Jacksonville Beach residents (as of 2017):
40% to Jacksonville
19% to Jacksonville Beach
39.4% to Schools
1.4% to St. Johns River Water Management District
0.2% to Florida Inland Navigation District
For Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach residents (as of 2017):
42% to Jacksonville
17.3% to Atlantic Beach/Neptune Beach
39% to Schools
1.5% to St. Johns River Water Management District
0.2% to Florida Inland Navigation District
According to the 1982 interlocal agreement, your tax dollars pay for Jacksonville to provide the following services:
- Property Appraiser
- Tax Collector
- Supervisor of Elections
- Courts
- Hospitals
- Port Authority
- Transportation Authority
- Libraries
- Agriculture
- Health (except nuisance control and abatement)
- Rescue
- Animal Control
- Human Resources
- Sports Complex and Auditorium
- Construction Trades Board
- Public Housing
- Jails and Prisons
- Sheriff (except police operations)
- County Road Construction and Maintenance
- Traffic Engineering on County Roads
- Recreation-Regional and County-Wide Recreational Facilities Only
- Sanitary Landfill
If you wish to learn more, you can read the original interlocal agreement and individual beach municipality amendments: