The Marion County Board of County Commissioners has adopted a $1.2 billion budget for next fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023.
The total adopted budget includes the countywide budget of $854.3 million and another $349.8 million for non-countywide entities.
During the final budget public hearing that was held on Thursday, September 22, the commissioners adopted a reduced countywide millage rate of 4.29 mills. The 2022-2023 countywide millage rate of 4.42 will remain through Friday, September 30.
The millage rate for next year (4.29) equates to $4.29 for each $1,000 of taxable property value.
The countywide millage rate funds the county’s general fund, which includes:
- Board of County Commissioners departments, such as Animal Services, Fleet Management, Parks and Recreation, Public Library System, Veterans Services, and others. (Among the departments not included are Solid Waste, Building Safety, Utilities, Visitors and Convention Bureau, Airport, and the Office of the County Engineer).
- Emergency medical transport provided by Marion County Fire Rescue.
- Marion County Sheriff’s Office jail administration and emergency operations.
- Constitutional offices (Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser, and Tax Collector).
- Courts and criminal justice (court administration technology, Guardian Ad Litem technology, public defender technology, and the drug and teen courts).
- Reserves for natural disasters and emergencies.
- Partner agencies (The Centers, Inc., Marion Senior Services/Transit, Heart of Florida Health Center, and Early Learning Coalition, among others).
The millage rate also funds the county’s fine and forfeiture program (overseen by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, with some portions overseen by the Clerk of the Court and State Attorney’s Office); and the Florida Department of Health in Marion County (a state-county funding partnership).
The 2022-2023 millage rate for the Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for law enforcement will remain at 3.72 mills. This MSTU is applied to properties in the unincorporated areas of the county that receive sheriff patrol services.
All other non-countywide millage rates will remain at their current levels, including the MSTUs for Hills of Ocala, Marion Oaks, Rainbow Lakes Estates, and Silver Springs Shores, as well as the MSTU for Fire, Rescue, and EMS, which is 1.11. The special assessment rates for solid waste and stormwater also remained at the same levels.
For more information, or to view the countywide budget documents, visit the Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s budget webpage.