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: