Bartow, FL – The Polk County Board of County Commissioners approved proposed millage rates for the 2025/2026 fiscal year on July 15. The rates remain unchanged from the current fiscal year.
The countywide millage rate is set at 6.6348 mills, used to calculate property taxes across Polk County. This rate includes four components: general fund operating, transportation, emergency medical, and environmental lands. Additional millage rates were approved for Municipal Services Taxing Units (MSTUs), which fund services in unincorporated areas. Only residents within an MSTU’s boundaries pay its specific rate.
The proposed MSTU rates are:
- Library MSTU: 0.1985 mills
- Rancho Bonito MSTU: 9.1272 mills
- Stormwater MSTU: 0.0941 mills
- Parks MSTU: 0.5286 mills
Explanation of Millage Rates: A millage rate is the tax rate applied to the assessed value of a property, expressed in mills. One mill equals $1 in tax per $1,000 of taxable property value. For example, a property with a taxable value of $100,000 at the countywide rate of 6.6348 mills would owe $663.48 in countywide property taxes. MSTU rates apply only to residents in specific districts, funding localized services like libraries or stormwater management.
The approved rates are proposed and cannot be increased but may be lowered. They will guide the development of Polk County’s 2025/2026 budget, to be finalized after public hearings on September 8 and 15. Florida Statute 200.065 mandates annual millage rate settings.
For more details, visit https://www.polk-county.net/business/budget-and-management-services/.
