News on Behalf of Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office - May 2021 Newsletter

Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office | May 2021 Newsletter

Dear Taxpayer:

Hello May!

My staff is busy completing preparations for the 2021 estimated taxable property values, which will be released to all Palm Beach County taxing authorities later this month. Specific details will be forthcoming.

In the meantime, I’d like to provide an update on one of my top priorities when I became your Property Appraiser in 2017: shortening the petition process for taxpayers.

Property owners who would like to appeal an assessed value or denied exemption can file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB), which is administered by the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. Once all VAB hearings have been conducted, the final tax roll – and all changes approved by the VAB – is certified.

Shortening the timeframe of the tax roll’s final certification allows my staff to focus all their efforts on the next tax roll. In 2019, we decreased the timeframe by nearly a month. This year, despite taking part in numerous hearings, my staff successfully integrated telephonic technology to make this the most efficient year yet.

We will continue to work with the VAB to streamline the process and ensure efficiency and transparency for all taxpayers in Palm Beach County.

In this month’s newsletter, we’ll review numbers from the Public Services Support Department, which handles most public records requests for my office. From address labels to customized reports, no matter how complex the request is, my staff is responsive and operates in a timely manner.

Public Services Support Department

The Public Services Support department receives and processes hundreds of public records requests annually. Data is derived from our Geographical Information System and appraisal/tax roll systems. We have several standard reports and are able to create customized, specialized reports and maps based on the taxpayer’s needs.

Last year, the Public Services Support team, a group of five, managed:

• 733 Data Run Requests/Variances – This includes address labels, maps, owner’s lists, and variances for when a taxpayer’s planned use of their property deviates from local zoning.
• 109 Archive Records – This includes tax rolls and building cards. Some of our records date back to 1977, and homeowners request these records for income tax purposes.  They usually want to know the value when the property changed hands.
• 144 Impact Fee Records – This is a request for a building card from builders or homeowners who are searching to see if a structure ever existed on a vacant lot, and if so, its square feet, number of bedrooms, baths, etc. If there was a structure, they can submit the building card to the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department for an impact fee credit. 
• 93 Custom/Specialized Reports – This could encompass any number of request, such as:
  
  • Information from the tax roll by assessed value
  • The number of homestead properties in certain cities
  • The entire tax roll or appraisal database file for the current year
  • Daily/Monthly sales updates
  • Subdivision reports
  • All vacant properties
  • Spreadsheets listing information for certain cities
  • All properties in an estate
  • All single family homes or a list by property use code
  • Certain properties by subdivision or labels for certain areas
  • Vector and situs files

Did You Know? Our office occasionally receives requests for a listing of residences that have certain breeds of dog. Though we do manage a vast array of parcel data, “we do not track pooches,” as our Specialist put it.

If you are interested in any special reports or maps, please contact Public Services Support at 561.355.2881 or pa-pubsvc@pbcgov.org. Fees for reports and programming can be found at pbcgov.com/PAPA.

Home Values and Property Taxes

Your ad valorem property tax bill is based on two components: the value of your home and the tax rate, or millage. If home values increase, tax bills do not necessarily have to increase as the millage/tax rate could be reduced.

Both home values and proposed millage are revealed in the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes that will be mailed to all property owners in August. If you feel that the market value of your property is inaccurate, you have the right to file a petition for adjustment with the Value Adjustment Board through the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. If you would like to address your tax rate, you have the right to speak to the elected officials who levy taxes at the public meetings listed in your Notice.

For more information, visit pbcgov.org/PAPA or contact Residential Appraisal Services at 561.355.2883 or myhouse@pbcgov.org.

Office Closed in Honor of Memorial Day

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office (including all of our Service Centers) will be closed in honor of Memorial Day on Monday, May 31, 2021. We honor the courageous men and women who died in military service for our country. Let us gratefully remember their sacrifice for our freedom and prosperity.