December 2022 | Issue No. 7 Newsletter

Giving is an Act of Kindness – Especially at Christmas.

The act of giving is an instinctive characteristic within all of us. Whether it is the random donation to a school fundraiser or volunteering with a community organization, each of us has that inner voice within the core of our being urging us to help others – some voices are silent whispers, and some are loud screams. Either way, they encourage us to be as generous as we can.

Next to the Fourth of July, the Christmas holiday is my favorite time of year. It is a time for gratefulness, reflection, hope – and most importantly – for giving. We take the time to show gratitude for our faith and for our families. We reflect on the days passed behind us, praying the days ahead will be equally as fulfilling. We hope for the future, setting goals for the new year. We should also spend time giving.

Giving is simply defined as helping another through kindness and compassion without any expectation of something in return. Selfless giving often goes hand in hand with happiness – both being deeply connected and intertwined. We must all recognize the importance of giving – especially in relation to our community. Lending a helping hand – in any capacity – during tough times can decrease the magnitude of someone’s hardships. It could truly save someone’s life. Not all of us are fortunate enough to live a life without difficulties.

The act of giving leads me to the incredible employees at the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s Office. We try extremely hard to cultivate a work environment which connects our employees with our community – specifically through giving. We want to make our communities – both inside and outside our office - a better place. This year, our employees donated countless hours of their time volunteering in our community and continually provided active financial donations to a plethora of those individuals who are less fortunate. In the last twelve months, our employees spent time reading to elementary school students in our Citrus County schools. We donated needed items to local churches, the Citrus County Education Foundation, homeless shelters, and abuse shelters. We sent care packages to active-duty military members. And we purchased gifts for several Christmas Angels from the Family Resource Center.

We also are “giving” in our business relations.

The Citrus County Property Appraiser’s office is a service driven organization thriving on putting the property owners needs first. We go a step further to achieve kindness and compassion to satisfy the needs of our property owners. We want our customers to feel valued. We display loyalty and trust to the community. We do what we can to make our customers’ lives better – through giving. 

I challenge you this Christmas season to spend some time giving – either financially or non-financially – I promise you the rewards will far outweigh the costs. Happiness comes from what we give, not from what we get.

The employees of the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s office come from all different backgrounds, most of which were a public service background. It is truly where our giving mindset comes from. It's comforting to know that we all started somewhere completely different and somehow all ended up in this office together at this moment in time. We have members of our staff that previously worked in a hospital, served in the military, grocery chain or drug stores, other government offices, first responders, cleaning services, DJ, homemakers, and the list goes on and on. Every one of us gained something from our previous careers or life choices that made us the public servants that we are today.

One thing that I know is if you need anything from our office we are here for you. It is our pledge to you in the coming year that we will continue to try our hardest to take care of you and your specific situation. It’s what we do. It’s the givers in us all.

From the Staff of the Citrus County Property Appraiser's office, we hope you have a blessed holiday season and a very Happy New Year! 

Sincerely,

Cregg E. Dalton, CFA

Citrus County Property Appraiser



Committed to Serving our Community

Do you know the difference?

Since the tax bills went out to all Citrus County property owners at the end of October, we felt it might be a good idea to share some insight on the confusion pertaining to the two government offices.

Here at the Citrus County Property Appraiser's office, we meet many residents who have moved to Florida from another State and do not understand the role the Property Appraiser's office has.

The term “Property Appraiser” may be confusing because in many states, the office that establishes the property value is called a “Tax Assessor.” In Florida, the term tax assessor technically describes two different Constitutional Offices. Below you will see the roles and responsibilities for each office and the distinct differences between the two.

Holiday Time

 Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

We hope you had an amazing holiday. 

Monthly Donation Dress-Up Days

On Tuesday November 29 it was "Giving Tuesday" which was perfect since the past month we have had the opportunity to give back to our community through our jean days & snack bar donations to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Citrus County. We had the pleasure of meeting CEO, Travis Anderson. He, along with his awesome staff have three clubs in Citrus County. They are doing so many great things for the children, so we couldn't be more excited to donate towards their endeavors.

On December 1st we had the pleasure of meeting Rachelle from Citrus County Blessings. Our staff was able to donate to the Blessings organization through our jean days & snack bar donations. Our contributions will provide food for the children of Citrus County for weekends and holiday breaks during the school year.

Speaking Engagements

Sellstate 

Community Outreach

Important Information

Homestead E-File

We are currently accepting applications for 2023.

This e-filing service is currently available for homestead exemption only. You may qualify for additional exemptions. Select from the list of available exemptions while filling out the homestead exemption application.

A customer service representative will contact you if additional documentation is required. For more information, please contact our office: Email or (352) 341-6600.

Before proceeding, please read the following:

• To be eligible for homestead exemption, you must be a permanent resident of Florida, who owns and occupies real property as of January 1 of the year in which you are applying.
• If you have recently closed on your property, please allow our office 30 to 60 days from your closing date to process the deed and ownership change. Click this link to check the ownership status of your property.
• If your property is secured from public record per Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, you will need to file homestead exemption by mail or in person.

Please have the following information available for all applicants:

• Florida Driver's License or ID card reflecting homestead address
• Florida vehicle tag number and/or voter registration reflecting homestead address
• Social Security number, Date of Birth, Date of Occupancy, Marital Status, and Phone number
• If married, you will also need the above information for your spouse
• Your previous address

FREE Property Fraud Alert Service

Office Closings - Happy Holidays

Stay Connected

Certified Florida Evaluator Award Ceremony

On November 29, Property Appraiser Cregg Dalton awarded Director of Customer Service, Kelly Carpenter, Parcel Records Manager, Cathy Brusko, Tax Roll Manager, Mary Jackson, Commercial Appraiser Trainee, Alex Cora, & Finance and Records Specialist, Brandy Strickland with their Certified Florida Evaluator (CFE) endorsements. This certification is issued by the Florida Department of Revenue. The CFE certification will help them better serve the citizens of Citrus County.