City of Port St. Lucie residents have a new tool to help them learn how their municipal tax dollars are spent.

Balancing Act’s Tax Receipt Tool provides residents with an unofficial, itemized receipt showcasing how the City spends tax dollars. The Tax Receipt Tool offers a transparent breakdown of programs and services supported by residents’ municipal tax contributions, which ensures transparency and accountability in public spending.

By simply entering a property’s taxable value, the tool will show what the owner spends on the City’s portion of their tax bill and where the money is spent. The City’s portion is less than a quarter of a resident’s total property tax bill. Property taxes are split among 16 entities including the county and schools. The City’s portion of property taxes provides the largest source of money that the City uses to pay for streets, roads, police, parks and other services.

 

“The Tax Receipt Tool allows residents to obtain an accounting of their tax dollars and clearly see how the City allocates those dollars,” said Caroline Sturgis, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. “By leveraging innovation and technology to share data with the community, residents are better equipped to help us co-design policies that advance positive public service outcomes.”

The Tax Receipt Tool empowers residents to become informed advocates for the services and programs they value most. Residents can visit CityofPSL.com/Taxes to access the Balancing Act Tax Receipt Tool. The application doesn’t include fees for utilities, solid waste and stormwater. A video explains how it works: youtu.be/gDgYceTLsZs.