Monroe County’s preliminary budget decision has been described as a 7.7% property-tax increase, and that description is real under Florida’s truth-in-millage rules. But it does not mean the county raised every tax rate by 7.7%, or that every homeowner in Key West and the Florida Keys should expect a bill exactly 7.7% higher.

At a July 14, 2026, budget meeting, commissioners approved proposed millage rates for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The county says the countywide rate would stay at 2.6929 mills, or $269.29 per $100,000 of taxable value. The aggregate rate across county taxing districts would rise from 3.3567 to 3.4054 mills, an increase of about 1.5%.

The larger 7.7% figure compares the proposed aggregate rate with the lower rolled-back rate—a benchmark designed to collect roughly the same revenue as the prior year from existing property. Florida law labels the amount above that benchmark a percentage increase in property taxes. Because Monroe County’s taxable property base grew, holding some rates flat can still produce more revenue.

The short answer

Yes, the preliminary action represents a tax increase in the formal statewide budget-notice sense. No, it is not an across-the-board 7.7% rate hike. A property owner’s actual change depends on taxable value, exemptions, which county taxing districts apply, and the rates ultimately adopted in September.

The distinction matters because three different numbers are circulating. The total proposed budget is $695,755,099, up $23,687,225—or about 3.5%—from the adopted FY2026 budget. The aggregate millage rate is proposed to rise about 1.5%. And the advertised property-tax increase is measured against the rolled-back rate, producing the larger 7.7% figure.

What the county estimates for property owners

For the countywide portion alone, Monroe County estimates that an average homesteaded residential property with $665,485 in taxable value would pay $50.65 more for the year, or $4.22 a month. The county estimates that an average non-homesteaded property with $1,105,135 in taxable value would pay $270.55 more annually, or $22.55 a month.

Those are examples, not promises. Homesteaded property generally receives assessment protections that can limit annual growth, while many second homes, rental properties and commercial parcels can experience larger taxable-value changes. A landlord may also try to pass higher ownership costs through when a lease renews, but renters do not receive a county property-tax bill directly.

Where the money would go

The proposed budget includes about $181.1 million in ad valorem revenue. County documents say 69.9% of that property-tax funding is assigned to public safety, including law enforcement, fire rescue, detention centers and the medical examiner. Officials say the aggregate millage increase is needed for fire-rescue and unincorporated local-road-patrol salary increases; matching last year’s aggregate rate would require about $2.59 million in cuts.

The overall budget increase is not entirely a tax story. The county attributes much of the $23.7 million increase to the Tourist Development Council’s use of accumulated fund balance for community investments, capital projects, events and advertising.

What happens next

Nothing is final yet. The first public hearing on the tentative budget and millage rates is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 5:05 p.m. at the Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. The final hearing is Monday, Sept. 14, at 5:05 p.m. at the Harvey Government Center in Key West, where commissioners are expected to adopt the final budget and rates. Both meetings are scheduled to offer in-person and Zoom participation.

Property owners should compare the proposed-tax notice mailed later this summer with last year’s bill, paying attention to taxable value as well as millage. The most accurate takeaway today is narrower than the viral claim: Monroe County has preliminarily approved a package that would collect more property-tax revenue, but 7.7% is a governmentwide comparison—not a forecast for every household.