CRESTVIEW — An error in TRIM, or Truth in Millage, notices sent to Crestview taxpayers — which resulted in the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser resending the notices — will slightly delay the 2015-16 millage and budget's final adoption.
“The notices came out with an incorrect rollback rate,” City Clerk Betsy Roy said. “The tax rate for last year was correct, and tentative millage rate was correct but the rollback rate was wrong.
“It was my mistake and fortunately I was the one that caught it before the process got completely done."
The “rollback” — the current year’s millage — would be the default millage rate if the City Council didn’t adopt a new millage and budget, she said.
The millage increases from 5.8466 to 6.9466 mils with the new fiscal year. Roy said Property Appraiser Pete Smith’s office cooperated with the city to reissue TRIM notices in time to meet state mandates to adopt the 2015-16 millage and budget by Oct. 1.
Roy estimates that sending new TRIM notices will cost less than $7,500.
“This was a mistake. It wasn’t a conscious, ‘We have to redo the TRIM,’” Roy said. “The property appraiser’s office has worked diligently to keep the cost as low as it can so it doesn’t cost the city as much.”
WANT TO GO?
The Crestview City Council's first budget hearing is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Sept. 22. The final hearing will be during the regular council meeting Sept. 28.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Error results in Crestview re-issuing TRIM notices