As Town Manager Will McKannay stated Sunday on Beach Talk Radio, a proposal to raise the millage rate on Fort Myers Beach residents is coming. Now we know what the proposed increase is that he’ll be requesting next Monday.
Here’s the explanation as to why they are requesting a 26% increase from .99 of $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.25. “The Town has been awarded an $11,900,000 bridge loan to offset shortfalls in ad valorem revenue of which the town’s FY2026 preliminary budget includes $2,447,757. To become more sustainable in the future, staff recommends considering an increase in the millage rate. With the preliminary budget numbers, we are using $2,447,757 from the town’s bridge loan to cover operating expenditures due to loss in ad valorem revenue since hurricane Ian. A millage increase of 1.255 will provide $1,191,486.” There is a possibility the $11.9 million bridge loan will be forgiven, however, the town has not been told that will be the case as of yet.
The town has not raised the millage rate since before Hurricane Ian.
The beach will see more revenue from higher property tax values. Earlier this month Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell reported that property values on Fort Myers Beach increased 12% over the previous year. Caldwell says the taxable property value total on Fort Myers Beach is $4.6 billion, $514,240 more than 2024-2025. That surpasses the total property value number from 2022, before Hurricane Ian
A Tentative Millage Rate must be adopted by the Town Council and submitted to the County Property Appraiser prior to August 5th. That gives this Town Council one day to decide being that their next meeting is August 4th. Once the tentative millage rate has been set it cannot be increased, only reduced.
The town has to hold 2 budge public hearings after 5PM before approving a final budget, in addition to discussing the budget at upcoming Town Council meetings. The first budget hearing is September 11, 2025 at 5:01 pm, and the second budget hearing is September 24, 2025 at 5:01 pm.
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