Budget Department
Millage ≠ Taxes
Millage and Taxes are related, but they are not the same
Millage can also be known as a mill and it is 1/10 of a cent.
The Millage Rate is the amount per $1,000 that is used to calculate taxes on property.
Taxes are charges, imposed by an authority on persons or property for public purposes.
Therefore, millage and taxes are related, but they are not the same. It is the Millage Rate, expressed through a mill, that is multiplied against a taxable value (the value of your home, for instance) that becomes a tax. The Millage Rate determines the amount to charge against something of value.
It is the job of the Property Appraiser (one of the elected constitutional officers) to appraise the value of the property and then certify the value of the property in the County.
After exemptions are applied (such as the Homestead Exemption) that appraised value becomes the taxable value.
The taxing authorities then determine how many mills they need to charge the combined taxable value in order to receive the amount of revenue they think they need for the next fiscal year. (Taxable value x mills)/1000 = $$ in revenue
Taxing authorities are units of government that determine the rate to collect monies (tax) and levy taxes for the public good.
These types of taxes are known as Ad Valorem taxes: taxes based on the value of property.
