Lazaro Aleman
Greene Publishing, Inc.
By now, Madison County property owners should have received their 2016 Truth-In-Millage (TRIM) notices in the mail.
The notices, Property Appraiser Leigh Barfield reports, were mailed on Thursday, Aug. 18, and they inform property owners of their property values and proposed tax rates from the various taxing authorities, such as the county and school district.
Barfield explained the process, which involves her office establishing the preliminary values, classifications and exemptions on July 1. These values are then reported to the city, county, and school and water management districts. The latter taxing authorities in turn set the millage or tax rates. The Property Appraiser's office then reports the proposed property taxes to owners of record on behalf of the taxing authorities via the TRIM notices.
“The first section of the notice shows each taxing authority’s rate and tax amount for last year; the current rates and taxes if no budget change is made (rollback); and the rates and taxes if the present proposed budget change is adopted,” Barfield explained. “Comparing these columns will provide a good indication of the change in taxes that property owners may realize on the actual bill. The public hearing information, along with phone numbers for inquiries concerning tax rates are in the last column of this section.”
Special assessment fees are not on the TRIM notice. Instead, they will be on your tax bill in November.
The final two sections of the notice provide information on this and last year’s market and assessed and taxable values, along with any exemptions and assessment reductions that may apply to particular properties.
“If you changed your address or recorded a deed after June 1, contact our office to update the information and/or get a copy of the notice, because it may have been mailed to the old address or prior owner,” Barfield advised. “[Monday] Sept. 12 is the deadline to correct the most value issue or to file a valuation petition with the Madison County Value Adjustment Board through the Clerk of Courts office in the main courthouse. That number is (850) 973-1500.”
Anyone with questions or concerns about their value or exemption of assessment reductions should contact the Property Appraiser’s office at (850) 973-6133.