General Functions of the Property Appraiser
The Property Appraiser is constitutionally mandated with two main duties. They are to assess property and to administer exemptions. Contrary to popular belief, the Property Appraiser does not determine the amount of taxes each property owner pays. Your Property Appraiser and staff place fair market values on over 123,000 real and tangible personal properties in St. Johns County totaling just over 25 billion dollars and administer over 77,000 exemptions totaling roughly 4.65 billion dollars. Administering exemptions has become very complex since the passage of Amendment 10 (Save Our Homes) and the more recent passage of Amendment 1.
In carrying out its primary mission, the Property Appraiser’s Office performs many other functions. Some important duties are maintaining the assessment roll by adding or deleting parcels, keeping updated information of all property ownership records and deed transfers, updating and maintaining property maps, administrating agricultural classifications, and processing tangible personal property returns.
It is important that your elected officials ascertain the needs of their constituents and provide those services. The ability to access the assessment roll on the Internet, the location of satellite offices and extra Saturday hours close to exemption deadlines are direct responses to those needs.