Understanding Property Taxes: Investing in Your Quality of Life
Published on September 18, 2025
Written by: Nicole Delfino, Strategy & Sustainability Manager
Property taxes can feel complicated, but they are one of the most important ways our community invests in the services that make Dunedin safe, vibrant, and welcoming. Here’s a breakdown of how your property taxes work, where your dollars go, and how your City puts its share to work.
Where Does Your Property Tax Dollar Go?
When your annual property tax is sent off to the Pinellas County Tax Collector, that money is divided among several government agencies. Here is a breakdown for every $1 you pay in property taxes:
Let’s dive into the breakdown of how your property tax dollar is spent. Approximately $.26 of every dollar goes to Pinellas County. These funds support the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols and serves the entirety of Pinellas County, including special services like court security, corrections, and victim services. They also cover the maintenance of County Parks; social services and mental health programs; support for the County’s health department; environmental programs; animal services; maintenance of public facilities; upkeep of roads and bridges; and administration of the Court System, Tax Collector, and Supervisor of Elections.
Approximately $.36 of every dollar goes to Pinellas County Schools, funding essential education programs, teacher pay supplements, reading, music and art programs, technology, field trips, and charter school support. Special district allocations makes up about $.15 per dollar and includes funding for transit services, county-wide EMS, the Juvenile Welfare Board (children and family services), fire districts, and water management districts.
The City’s portion - just $.23 per dollar - goes directly toward the services you see and use every day. For Fiscal Year 2026, we estimate Dunedin will collect close to $18 million in ad valorem (property tax) revenue, which is invested in essential services:
- Law Enforcement: $6.2 million
- Fire & Emergency Services: $13.8 million
- Parks & Recreation: $17.4 million
- Roads & Street Facilities: $2.1 million
- Library Services: $3.5 million
Your property tax rate is determined by the millage rate. Dunedin’s current rate, which has remained consistent since 2016, is 4.1345 mills. This means, in the City of Dunedin, each homeowner pays $4.13 for every $1,000 of your property’s taxable value. In Dunedin, an average home’s taxable value is close to $200,000. This equates to $829.90 (or about $70/month) that comes to the City of Dunedin annually as the proportion (23%) of your total property tax.
Looking to Fiscal Year 2026
Property taxes are more than just a bill - they are the foundation of Dunedin’s quality of life. As the Dunedin City Commission is preparing to adopt the FY 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, several key projects, initiatives and services rely on property tax funding. The City’s “General Fund,” where property tax is allocated, covers a multitude of services and projects, including Parks and Recreation, Fire and EMS, Law Enforcement, Library Services, Public Works and Streets, and Administration.
Funding in FY26 in Parks and Recreation enhances services, provides education and classes, and advances key projects. Capital project funding for this upcoming year includes athletic field renovations; maintaining boardwalks and bridges in our parks; enhancing recreation facilities that host music, entertainment, youth and adult programming, and physical fitness centers; replacing lighting for recreation and safety; outdoor restroom renovations; and funding large projects like the Highlander Aquatic Complex replacement and a Living Shoreline design at Weaver Park.
Roads and Street maintenance ensures our streets remain safe for vehicles and pedestrians. Projects in Public Works also ensure City facilities are maintained, up-to-date, and are healthy. Road and sidewalk repairs handled in house are all funded with a portion of your property tax dollars and are assets residents use every day. To note, other critical assets, like Solid Waste, Stormwater, Water and Wastewater, are not funded within this allocation of property tax dollars. Rather, they are maintained by Enterprise Funds and their operations and projects within those funds are prioritized to ensure safe and functional services for our community.
Something you don’t need every day, but is critical to safety are the Dunedin Fire Rescue (providing Fire and Emergency Medical Services) and the contracted services provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office serving Dunedin’s community and residents, including dedicated Community Policing Officers (CPO’s). Funding for these two key emergency services exceeds property tax revenue annually. These services are available in times of need, disaster, crisis, accidents and so much more. They ensure our events, roads, and special activities are safe and they provide education and outreach to our residents and businesses.
Your property tax dollars continue to make Dunedin a safe and beautiful place to live, work and play. Thank you for helping protect what makes our community special. To learn more about the FY 2026 budget and what your property tax dollars fund, visit: https://www.dunedin.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/finance/documents/budget/2026-budget-docs/fy-2026-tentative-budget-pdf-version.pdf.