Marty Kiar Newsletter July 2017

Dear Neighbor,

In this newsletter, I share how excited we are about a new state law to help first responders, and I tell you of other ongoing work of the Broward County Property Appraiser's office. First Responder’s Disability Exemption The property tax exemption for certain totally and permanently disabled first responders and surviving spouse’s bill was recently implemented. This bill allows for a Florida first responder who is totally and permanently disabled as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty to be exempt from taxation on their Homesteaded property. There are specific requirements for this exemption so please contact my office if you have any questions. As a result of this newly enacted Florida law, I had the privilege of signing up totally and permanently disabled Florida first responders for a full exemption from all ad valorem taxes. One of the first to receive this exemption was Howard, a former Broward Sheriff's deputy who became totally and permanently disabled while assisting other first responders at Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks. Our first responders are true heroes and deserve whatever assistance we can provide, but more importantly our respect and appreciation.

Estimate of Taxable Value On June 30, I certified the 2017 Estimate of Taxable Value for the various taxing authorities. For months, the employees of our office have been working diligently determining the value of all property in Broward County. These property assessments are important because the property tax a property owner pays is determined by the assessed value of the property, less any tax-saving exemptions, times the millage rate, plus any non-ad valorem fees set by local taxing authorities. The tax roll certification I signed certifies that these values are accurate and correct. In Broward County, there was an overall increase in taxable value of 9.32%, including new construction, with the taxable value for existing properties increasing 7.82% in the county. This increase is based on the sales from January 1, 2017 back through January 2, 2016. Florida law requires our assessments to be a year in arrears meaning the current real estate market will impact the 2018 property assessments. These values are significant because they are used by the county, school board, cities and other taxing authorities to set their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. If you would like to see the increase in taxable value by city, click here 2017 TRIM Notices The Property Appraiser’s Office will be mailing the 2017 TRIM (proposed tax) Notices in mid-August. This notice will show your property assessment, exemptions, and the proposed taxes. Included in this notice are the hearing dates and times for the various taxing authorities’ budget hearings. This notice is your opportunity to review your property assessment and ensure you are receiving all the exemptions you are entitled to. If you believe you are entitled to an additional tax-saving exemption or if you have questions about your assessment, please do not hesitate to contact my office directly. Exemption questions - please contact our Customer Service Department at (954)357-6830. Residential property assessment questions - please contact our Residential Department at (954)357-6831. Condominium and time share questions - please contact our Condo Department at (954)357-6832. Commercial property assessment questions - contact our Commercial Department at (954)357-6862. The deadline for applying for any 2017 tax-saving exemption or appealing your property assessment is September 18, 2017. If my office can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (954)357-6904 or by email at martykiar@bcpa.net Take care, Marty Kiar Broward County Property Appraiser