Property taxes too high says appraiser

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - After years of declining property values, the Brevard County Property Appraiser says property taxes are still too high.

Jim Ford says current state law does not allow him to include foreclosures in his property appraisals. With a high number of foreclosures in Florida, and especially Brevard, he believes current law is keeping property taxes artificially elevated.

"These foreclosures are not even part of that calculation” says Ford. “But I think in many areas they need to be. And the only way to do that is to have the state statute change."

A change in the statute would cause property taxes to go down, but that could spell more budget pain for cities and counties that rely on the revenue for up to 40% of their budget.