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Named for Barron Colllier, a real estate developer and prominent landowner, Collier County
was established in 1923 and is located on the south western coast of Florida (see map below). The county’s 2,305 square miles of land make it the largest county in the state in terms of land area and the fourth-largest in terms of total area. The most recent census estimated the population of Collier County at 372,880 people. The Collier County seat is located in East Naples.
Map of Collier County, Florida
The majority of the land in the southeastern portion of Collier County lies within the Big Cypress National Preserve, and some of the southern coastal regions are located within the Everglades National Park. Indeed, the natural beauty of Collier County combined with its advantageous location along the Gulf of Mexico (aptly named “Paradise Coast”) have made it a major tourist destination, and more than 9 million tourists visit some part of the county each year. The municipalities of Naples, Marco Island, Everglades City, Immokalee and Ave Maria are among the most popular tourist destinations.
In fact, Collier County is justifiably proud of its natural resources and even maintains live Web cams so that potential visitors can see what they’re missing for themselves in real time. With spectacular white sand beaches, a temperate climate and plenty of exciting things to see and do, most industry observers agree that Collier County will continue to experience steady growth well into the foreseeable future. All of this natural beauty, though, does carry some risks and several Burmese pythons (one 16 feet in length!) have been found in recent years. Nevertheless, both tourists and residents alike agree that the county’s pristine beaches and exotic locales make it a great place to live and visit.
As an elected official, the Collier County Property Appraiser is tasked with appraising all of the property situated within the county borders, including both real estate as well as tangible personal property of businesses (i.e., equipment, machinery and fixtures). The Property Appraiser is also charged with the preparation of the county’s tax roll; however, this position does not determine tax rates or collect taxes.
Pursuant to Florida State law, the Collier County Property Appraiser is also responsible for assessing all property within the county the first of January each year. This process includes periodic field inspections of all properties. This responsibility is overseen by the Florida Department of Revenue which establishes relevant rules and regulations that guide the Property Appraiser.
At present, the Collier County Property Appraiser is responsible for determining the market value of more than 200,000 individual parcels of land and the buildings together with thousands of tangible personal property accounts. It is important to note, however, that the Property Appraiser is not responsible for creating value and only reports the supply and demand market sales activity between willing sellers and buyers. During periods of a strong economy, property in Collier County may increase in valuation accordingly. Conversely, during times of economic downturns, these properties may decrease in valuation.
Besides appraising property throughout the county, the Property Appraiser is also responsible for the administration of homestead exemptions, determining property that is eligible for capped assessments, agricultural classification, and determining the eligibility of certain religious, charitable, educational and municipal property for tax exemption. In addition, the Property Appraiser is tasked with the administration of widow, widower and disability exemptions and the maintenance of timely legal descriptions and ownership tax maps for all the real property located in Collier County.
The Collier County Property Appraiser maintains a useful and recently updated Web site that provides information about the services provided, tax roll summaries, county budgets, capped assessments as well as how to dispute property valuations when property owners disagree with the Property Appraiser. The Property Appraiser Web site also features useful links to flood and storm surge maps, land use maps, wetland surveys, land development code, zoning and future land use applications for Collier County as well as Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades City.
Mr. Abe Skinner, Certified Florida Appraiser (CFA)
3950 Radio Road
Naples, Florida 34104
(239) 252-8141
webinfo@collierappraiser.com
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays
Visitors to Collier County, Florida’s Paradise Coast are in for a real treat and it is little wonder than millions of tourists visit the county each year. With 2,305 square miles of land and a population of 372,880 people, Collier County is the largest county in the state in terms of land area and the fourth-largest in total area. Besides its natural beauty, the citizens of Collier County are also fortunate to have Mr. Abe Skinner, CFA as their County Property Appraiser. In fact, Mr. Skinner has worked in the Property Appraiser since 1962 and has been the Property Appraiser since 1991 and many authorities agree that the appraisal system he developed is among the best in the entire state. In fact, even in those cases where property owners disagree with the Property Appraiser’s valuations, Mr. Skinner’s office makes it easy to learn how to file a dispute and even provides online links on its Web site to the forms people need for this purpose as well as an valuable informational brochure on property assessments.