Estero's proposed tax rate comes in under the rolled-back rate, which in Florida is the definition of a cut

The Village of Estero has proposed keeping its property tax rate at 0.7300 mills for fiscal 2027, and under Florida's method of counting, that is a tax cut.

Village Council adopted Resolution 2026-17 on July 2. The resolution declares the proposed operating millage at 0.7300 mills, meaning 73 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, and states on its face that the rate is 0.49 percent below the rolled-back rate of 0.7336 mills. The rolled-back rate is the rate that would raise the same money from the same properties as the year before, and Florida measures every increase and decrease against it rather than against last year's millage.

The resolution recites that the Lee County Property Appraiser served the village with its Certification of Taxable Value on July 1, and that Section 200.065 of the Florida Statutes gives a municipality thirty-five days from that service to report back its proposed rate, its rolled-back rate, and its hearing dates.

The proposed budget summary filed with the same meeting puts ad valorem revenue at $7,178,000 and total appropriated expenditures at $90,790,980 across all funds. Of that, $75,920,000 is capital outlay. The revenue side carries $69,000,000 in debt proceeds, alongside $7,030,000 in impact fees and $11,416,600 in intergovernmental revenue. Total revenues, transfers and balances come to $205,385,642.

The general fund itself is small. Its expenditures total $11,739,600, against $68,942,000 transferred out to the capital program.

Two public hearings are set at Village Hall, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, on September 9 and September 23, both at 5:05 p.m. Council can lower the rate at those hearings but cannot raise it without extraordinary notice.