By Times Staff Writer
Published September 25, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - Most homeowners should get a small perk next year: a lower property tax bill for county services. The County Commission approved a final budget Tuesday night that lowers the property tax rate from $8.64 to $8.28 per $1,000 of taxable property - a savings of about $27 for someone with a $100,000 homesteaded property, for example. That doesn't include taxes for the school district, the cities or other agencies, however. The county's $689-million budget was buoyed by a $1.6-billion increase in the county's tax base, providing money to renovate the west Pasco courthouse, expand the Regency Park library and build new parks in Trinity and Wesley Chapel, among other projects. Non-homesteaded property owners could pay more taxes if their site increased in value. Homeowners should see a lower bill, however, because the tax rate reduction is greater than the increase in home values allowed under the Save Our Homes Act.
