Does the term “millage” induce feelings of bafflement and boredom? You’re not alone.
Here’s The Citizen’s boiled-down guide to what the word means and how it affects what you’re likely to pay in property taxes next year.
The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners tentatively approved a new property tax rate of 4.465 mills for fiscal year 2026 at their meeting last week by a split vote of 3–2.
A “mill” is a way to express tax rates — it means $4.465 in tax for every $1,000 of a home’s taxable value.
This new rate is slightly lower than last year’s 4.6537 mills but remains above the roll-back rate, which is about 4.4180 mills.
The roll-back rate is the level that would keep property tax bills flat despite rising home values.
Because the approved rate is higher than the roll-back rate, most homeowners will see an increase in their property tax bills — even though the rate technically dropped.
This happens because property values continue to rise, and the slight difference above the roll-back rate means the county will collect more tax revenue overall.
To give you a clearer picture, county staff shared examples based on typical home values:
- For a home valued at $200,000, taxes would rise to roughly $1,359 — an increase of around $50 per year.
- For a home valued at $350,000, taxes would rise to roughly $2,378 — an increase of around $88 per year.
- For a home valued at $500,000, taxes would rise to roughly $3,398 — an increase of around $126 per year.
- For a home valued at $650,000, taxes would rise to roughly $4,417 — an increase of around $164 per year.
- For a home valued at $800,000, taxes would rise to roughly $5,436 — an increase of around $202 per year.
- For a home valued at $1.25 million, taxes would rise to roughly $8,494 — an increase of around $315 per year.
These amounts reflect the total property tax bill from all taxing entities in the county, including services like fire, library, health care, and others. Combined, they create a full tax rate of 6.7954 mills.
Board members Christian Whitehurst, Sarah Arnold, and Clay Murphy voted in favor of the new rate, while Chair Krista Joseph and Commissioner Ann Taylor opposed it.
Joseph and Taylor pushed for a deeper tax cut, citing financial pressures facing homeowners. Joseph said residents are facing rising costs in utilities, garbage collection, water bills and even cable, and argued that a steeper tax reduction would offer some needed relief.
Whitehurst argued that rising costs and increased demands for services made the approved rate necessary. He pointed to ongoing staffing needs in public safety and a backlog in transportation infrastructure, warning that cutting the rate further could underfund critical services.
The millage rate approved last week is not final. The board is expected to hold final budget hearings in September, where the rate could still be lowered — but not raised.
This tentative approval simply sets the maximum rate the county can adopt for the upcoming fiscal year.
