It seems that not a day goes by without another locality telling us how they are broke and plan to raise taxes. Yesterday, I told you about the seemingly coordinated social media campaign against Amendment 3. I am going to keep beating this drum, because it’s important.
Cape Canaveral has been discussed on this page before. As I said then: The city of Cape Canaveral in Brevard County has a population of about 10,000 people and encompasses about 2 square miles. In the year 2000, population in the city was about 8,900 people, and it was about 8,000 people in 1990. That’s a growth rate of 0.5% per year over the past 36 years. In 2015, the city spent an amount nearly the same as its entire annual budget building a new city hall, even though it couldn’t even afford a police force.
This city has a population of only 10,000 people, but an annual budget of 40 million and no police department.
and they are broke. They have been running budget deficits for so long, they have spent all of their reserve funds.
They have been spending more than they take in for DECADES. This coming year, they have a $4 million budget shortfall. Rather than rein in out of control spending, this city is considering TRIPLING their tax rate to 10 mils at their September 15 meeting.
The current municipal property tax rate (millage rate) for the City of Cape Canaveral is 3.1429 mils. A family that lives in a modest $250,000 home would be paying $1400 more in taxes next year if this passes. In Florida, your total property tax bill stacks multiple authorities together: Brevard County Public Schools (~6.31 mils), Brevard County Commission (~2.86 mils), and other special water and navigation districts (~0.80 mils), plus the proposed 10 mils for Cape Canaveral would raise that family’s new tax bill from $2,635.65 per year for 2026 to $4,007.08 per year in 2027.
That’s why it’s important to take care of this. Since the local government’s can’t control their spending, the taxpayers need to do it for them.
7 Comments
Boneman · August 7, 2026 at 6:08 am
Yep. the City of Ft. Myers just proposed and approved (for now?) a 10 percent hike to pay for a new Police Dept. HQ among other things.
Despicable.
it's just Boris · August 7, 2026 at 6:15 am
Spending other people’s money is addictive.
Barefoot Peckerwood · August 7, 2026 at 8:14 am
Our local school.district decided to build a new football stadium w/o a public vote. They claimed it was excess funds. So.instead if using wisely, they blew it and now the project delays and overruns are piling up. School board vote this cycle is heating up.
Steve S6 · August 7, 2026 at 9:20 am
We need to rope in those spending.
You mean rein in spending.
I spoke most precisely.
TRX · August 7, 2026 at 11:57 am
In my area property tax is a county thing. The state takes a 6.5% sales tax and various “use” taxes. My town, which has had the same population for 50+ years, has quintupled the number of city employees on top of contracting-out things like trash pickup and water meter reading. This used to be an actual city, though small, with light manufacturing. I’m not sure what the commercial tax rate is, but the industrial area is mostly just empty buildings or cheap warehouses now. Wal-Mart moved in, with a sweetheart “no city sales tax” deal, and undercut the existing department and grocery stores’ prices until they went out of business, then raised their prices substantially. Most of the gas stations closed, McDonald’s and Burger King closed, the hospital closed, the telephone, water, and electric company offices closed, half of the banks closed, there are no independent doctors any more, and the “city” is now basically just a Super-Walmart, housing, and a handful of stores that haven’t closed *yet*. An assload of “nail salons” and “smoke shops”, though.
The Coof accelerated things, but the trend has been in the same direction since the 1970s at least.
Oh, did I mention a possible contributing factor? How about the 12% city sales tax? On top of the 6.5% state sales tax and a 1% county sales tax. The state takes its bite out of online sales, but the county and city haven’t organized to that point yet. We pretty much have to shop online, because other than lumber or car parts, there’s nothing but the Wal-Mall.
Jim · August 7, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Amendment 3 simply grants a homestead exemption for houses valued at $250,000 or less. That’s a 2000 dollar tax break for anyone who owns a home valued at less than that (in my county). Who would be against that? I can tell you who. Those that think it’s OK to seize your home for not paying the tax (Even though you have paid the house off). I don’t mind paying the taxes so our local government can have their holidays, pensions, kickbacks and general lazy set asides. Why must I fund it at the threat I will lose my home if I disagree?
Jim · August 7, 2026 at 12:46 pm
As my grandfather used to say, There are too many pigs for the teats!
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