Fort Lauderdale holds steady on tax rate for 17th year in a row. But your tax bill might rise anyway.

Fort Lauderdale, the growing tourist town that’s home to nearly 200,000 people along with some of the region’s tallest buildings, has managed to keep the same property tax rate for 16 years in a row.

And with property values rising and a continued boom in new construction, there are no plans to break that streak.

Commissioners are expected to approve the tax rate and the city’s $1 billion budget at a hearing at 5:01 p.m. Tuesday at The Parker at 707 NE Eighth St., several blocks north of City Hall. A final hearing will be held at 5:01 p.m. Sept. 13.

When the next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, homeowners can expect to be paying the same base tax rate for the 17th year in a row — a feat accomplished by no other city in Broward County, as City Manager Greg Chavarria points out in his budget message to residents and the commission.

The value of taxable property in Fort Lauderdale is now at a staggering $55 billion, according to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office.

That’s an increase of $6 billion over the previous fiscal year, including $1 billion associated with new construction. Overall, the increase will bring in an extra $21 million in property tax money.

Still, homeowners will likely see their tax bill rise thanks to an 11.7% increase in property values citywide.

Fort Lauderdale expects to collect more than $216.6 million in property taxes next year, enough to cover nearly 47% of the city’s $463.4 million operating budget.

Fort Lauderdale homeowners pay one of the lowest tax rates in Broward County: $412 per $100,000 in assessed property value. Next year’s total tax rate includes a debt rate to help pay off two 30-year bonds approved by voters in March 2019 for parks and a new police headquarters. That brings the city’s total tax rate to $439 per $100,000 in assessed property value.

Municipal taxes represent about 25% of the total tax bill. Other taxing districts, including the Broward School Board, Broward County, the hospital and water districts, account for the rest.

The fire fee paid by homeowners is expected to rise from $321 to $338. The fire fee will bring in $52.9 million — $3 million more than the previous year.

To help cover rising labor costs, property owners can expect the fire fee to increase on a yearly basis instead of every three years, Chavarria said.

Fort Lauderdale has come a long way since it was incorporated as a city in 1911. By 1920, it had a population of 2,065.

Today, Fort Lauderdale is home to more than 189,000 residents and ranks as one of the nation’s hottest tourist destinations, with more than 13 million visitors a year.

Between 1980 and 2020, the city added 30,000 residents (a 19% increase) and more than 23,037 housing units (a 29% increase).

In the wake of the pandemic, Fort Lauderdale became a popular destination for people looking to relocate from around the country.

But with the population boom, the city’s police and fire rescue departments need to make new hires to maintain the same level of service, Chavarria says.

Fort Lauderdale’s Fire Rescue Department accounts for $120 million of next year’s budget. The police department, with 550 sworn officers, accounts for $158 million.

To address fire-rescue needs all over town, Fort Lauderdale plans to hire nine firefighters in order to increase the number of third-person rescue units beginning in April 2024. The new hires will cost $912,000 in the first year.

Fort Lauderdale also plans to hire 14 more police officers. The new hires will cost $2.8 million in the first year.

Eleven officers will be assigned to road patrol and three to the department’s Homeless Outreach Team, Chavarria says.

At least one commissioner says even those new police hires might not be enough to cover future needs in the growing city.

“We are woefully understaffed,” Commissioner John Herbst said during a recent commission meeting.

Fort Lauderdale’s daytime population doubles with all the visitors and workers coming into town from around the region, he noted.

Herbst said he’d like to discuss raising staffing levels at the police department next budget season. But it’s likely too late for this one.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan