City commissioners have adopted a $730 million budget that arranges public safety first while holding the city’s property tax rate flat. Residents, however, will likely may see a slight increase in their property taxes.
The city commission voted unanimously to approve a tax rate of $5.43 per $1,000 of assessed property value for the fiscal year 2023, which starts Oct. 1. This is the same tax rate as the current year.
The new budget places importance on improving police and fire as it contains more than $9.2 million in improvements.
It will fund the hiring of 13 officers for the Lakeland Police Department.
The Lakeland Fire Department will be provided with funding for 12 additional positions to staff a new station. The budget contains funds designated for the city to purchase property to serve as a site of future fire station 8 to be located in North Lakeland.
Commissioner Walker has suggested thought in creating a police substation within the firehouse could improve response times and provide relief to LPD officers.
The average Lakeland homeowner with property assessed property value of $123,500, without considering any exemptions, would pay about $670 in property taxes.
Despite the city holding the line on taxes, many property owners will wind up paying slightly more in taxes next year. The average assessed value of a Lakeland home rose from $107,000 to $123,500 over the last year, which amounts to a difference of about $80.
