Special Taxing District Assessment Rate

A Special Taxing District (STD) is a designated area whereby most property owners agree to allow the Town of Miami Lakes to provide special services through a non-ad valorem assessment. The Town oversees six active districts providing services to approximately 2,400 households throughout the Town. The types of services provided are security guard and guardhouse operations and maintenance services, and lake maintenance services.

These districts are petitioned for and voted on by the residents within the area. These services are beyond those traditionally provided by municipal government and are billed to property owners as non-ad valorem assessments included in their annual property tax bills. By creating these assessment districts, it gives communities the opportunity to provide services in public areas of their neighborhoods which could not be conveniently done otherwise.

In 2014, Town residents who were living within the Special Taxing Districts formerly known as the Neighborhood Service Districts in the Town of Miami Lakes expressed interest in transferring these services to the Town with the goal of receiving services directly from the Town. On November 8, 2016, Miami-Dade County voters approved a Charter Amendment authorizing a municipality to act as the governing body for these districts within their municipalities. Once the amendment was approved, the residents of the six districts within the Town presented a petition to be transferred from the County, and the Town Council approved the request on September 5, 2017. On January 21, 2018, elections within the districts’ boundaries were conducted via mail-in ballot. All six districts received a majority vote ratifying the transfer to the Town. The Town organized public meetings with the residents of each district to discuss preferred level of services and the preliminary rates.

The Special Taxing Districts sub-fund of the Special Revenue Fund was created to account for the cost to provide public improvements and special services through a non-ad valorem assessment. Non-ad valorem assessments represent a cost share assigned to a group of properties to pay all or part of the cost associated with a specific public service or improvement, such as security guard services, lake maintenance, and landscape maintenance, primarily benefiting those properties. The Town of Miami Lakes provides security guard and guardhouse operations/maintenance services to four districts, and lake maintenance to two districts.

📄 FY 2025-26 Special Taxing Districts Budget – Guardhouse (1st Reading)

This notice informs property owners within the Town of Miami Lakes Special Taxing Districts of proposed assessment rates and the public hearing for district budgets. Assessments fund security guard and guardhouse operations, maintenance, and lake maintenance services.

Right to Object

All affected property owners have a right to appear at the hearing and file written objections with the Town Council within 20 days of this notice.

Method of Collection

Assessments appear as a non-ad valorem assessment on your annual property tax bill.

Failure to pay the assessment will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property, which may result in a loss of title.

John Yanes, MS, MBA, CPRP, AFO
Special Projects Manager — Parks
Phone: (305) 364-6100, Ext. 1234
Email: YanesJ@miamilakes-fl.gov
www.miamilakes-fl.gov

For more information go to www.miamilakes-fl.gov/std