Two things are landing on Northeast Florida homeowners over the next few months, and most people I talk to only know about one of them.
The first shows up in your mailbox in August. The second shows up on your ballot on November 3.
Here’s what both mean, in plain English.
Your TRIM notice is not a bill
In mid-August, your county property appraiser mails a Truth in Millage notice — everyone calls it a TRIM notice. St. Johns County has its 2026 notices going out August 17, and they post to sjcpa.gov the same day. Duval, Clay, and Putnam send theirs around the same time.
It is not a bill. It’s a preview. It shows what the appraiser thinks your home was worth as of January 1, which exemptions you’re receiving, what tax rates the county, school board, and other taxing authorities are proposing, and roughly what your November bill will look like.
A lot of people toss it. Don’t.
Three things to check the day it arrives:
- Your exemptions. Confirm your homestead exemption is actually listed. If you bought last year and filed, make sure it took. If you never filed, that missing line is costing you real money every year — here’s how the homestead exemption deadline works.
- Assessed value versus market value. If you have homestead, the Save Our Homes cap limits how fast your assessed value can climb even when market value jumps. The gap between those two numbers is your protection — and it’s worth understanding before you ever list.
- The proposed rates and the hearing dates. Every taxing authority on that page has a public hearing listed. Those meetings are where the rate actually gets set.
Why your bill can rise even when the rate doesn’t
On July 21, St. Johns County commissioners voted 3–2 to hold the tax rate flat for the budget year that starts October 1. But a flat rate on a higher value still means a bigger bill.
County figures reported by Jacksonville Today put it at roughly $94 more on a $500,000 home and $66 more on a $350,000 home — and that’s the county portion alone, before schools and other authorities.
The proposed budget is $1.46 billion. The county’s population is up about 26% since 2020, sitting near 350,000 people, and the budget adds 24 firefighters and emergency medical staff. Commissioners signaled they may still pursue a rolled-back rate in September.
The first public hearing is September 3 at 5 p.m. at the County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine, and it’s livestreamed. A second, final adoption hearing follows later in September. If you have an opinion about your tax bill, that’s where it belongs.
If the value looks wrong, your window is short
You have 25 days from the mailing date printed on your TRIM notice to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board. For St. Johns County that lands around September 11 — but go by the date printed at the top of your notice, not by mine.
Before you file anything, call the property appraiser’s office. In St. Johns County that’s (904) 827-5500. An informal conversation clears up a good number of these, and it costs you nothing. If you want a second opinion on whether your assessed value tracks with what comparable homes actually sold for, that’s a conversation I’m glad to have.
November 3: Amendment 3 on your ballot
Now the bigger one.
Florida lawmakers passed HJR 1F in a June special session, and it lands on your November 3 ballot as Amendment 3. It needs 60% voter approval to take effect.
If voters approve it, here’s what changes:
- The homestead exemption on non-school property taxes rises from roughly $50,000 today to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments starting in 2029.
- School taxes are untouched. The $25,000 school exemption stays as is. School taxes are a significant share of most bills, so this is a cut — not an elimination.
- The annual assessment increase cap on non-homestead property drops from 10% to 5%. That covers rentals, second homes, and commercial property.
- Newer arrivals wait five years. If you were a permanent Florida resident by December 31, 2026, you get the full benefit on schedule. If you establish residency after that, you hold at $25,000 on school levies and $50,000 on non-school levies until you’ve maintained Florida residency for five years. In practice that’s close to today’s rules — so if you’ve been thinking about making a Florida move official, the calendar matters here.
I’m not here to tell you how to vote. I’m telling you it’s on the ballot and it matters, because both sides of it are real. Homeowners would keep more money. Counties would collect less — St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews has warned it could cost the county around $66 million in fiscal 2028 and as much as $830 million cumulatively by 2032. In the fastest-growing county in this region, that lands on roads, fire service, and law enforcement.
Read the ballot summary yourself before November. It’s a real trade-off either way.
What this means if you’re buying
Stop assuming the seller’s tax bill will be your tax bill. This is the single most common surprise I see at closing.
When a homesteaded owner sells, their Save Our Homes cap goes away. The property gets reassessed at full market value the following January 1. A seller who has owned since 2014 may be paying taxes on an assessed value far below what you’re paying for the house. Your bill in year two can be dramatically higher than theirs — and if your lender escrowed based on the old number, your payment jumps.
One exception worth knowing: if you’re moving from another Florida home you homesteaded, portability lets you carry up to $500,000 of your assessment difference to the new place. That can soften the reset considerably. You have to file for it, though — it isn’t automatic.
Either way, run your own estimate. Every Northeast Florida property appraiser has a tax estimator on their site. Use it before you write the offer, not after. If you’re buying in Northeast Florida, I’ll walk the numbers with you.
If you’re buying an investment property or a second home, that non-homestead cap moving from 10% to 5% is worth watching. It would meaningfully change how fast holding costs climb.
What this means if you’re selling
Buyers here shop the monthly payment, not the price. Taxes and insurance are a big piece of that payment.
Know your numbers before you list. Be ready to explain what a new owner would actually pay, rather than pointing at your own capped bill. And if Amendment 3 passes in November, expect buyer questions about it in January — the ones who understand it will be doing that math. Thinking about selling? Let’s talk through it before you list.
The short version
Watch for your TRIM notice in mid-August. Check your exemptions the day it arrives. Note your VAB deadline. Then read the November ballot question carefully.
I’m not a tax attorney or a CPA, and nothing here is tax or legal advice — for your specific situation, talk to your property appraiser’s office or a qualified tax professional. But I read this stuff so my clients don’t have to guess, and I’m happy to walk you through what your numbers look like.
Questions about your assessment, or what a home you’re considering would actually cost you monthly? Text or call me at (904) 699-5412. I reply personally, usually the same day.
Sources: St. Johns County Property Appraiser (sjcpa.gov), TRIM mailing date August 17, 2026, and its Amendment 3 summary page; Jacksonville Today reporting on the St. Johns County budget, July 21, 2026; Florida Legislature CS/HJR 1F, enrolled text, 2026 special session. Program terms and dates can change — confirm current details with the relevant county office.
Neal Brown, Realtor® · iHeart Realty, Inc. · (904) 699-5412 · Contact Neal · Equal Housing Opportunity