Over the past few years Lee County has experienced tremendous growth and all indicators point to that continuing. In response, we have been working with Lee County to create plans for expansion.

In early 2024, we will move from our current location in Lehigh Acres to larger office space at the corner of Homestead and Milwaukee. The new service center will be 9,640 square feet with 24 stations and be the first to have a children’s area with small activities. The design will be fresh and modern, getting away from the “government looking” office space. Construction has begun, and when complete, we will join the Supervisor of Elections, Department of Health, and the Lee County Clerk of Courts in this building.

In 2024 we were also planning on opening a new location in Estero at the Miromar Outlets. Lee County was negotiating that contract as the space was being leased to them. Unfortunately, due to rising remodeling costs, the contract between Lee County and Miromar Outlets was terminated, which means we will not be opening a service center at that location.

Our office is committed to creating an infrastructure that will enable us to meet the growing demands of our customers and continue to excel in our industry. We are currently re-evaluating the needs of our community for future locations and will continue to share updates as we have them.

August in Florida is known for heat… humidity… and of course, TRIM notices!

TRIM Notices are required to be mailed no later than August 25 to all property owners. But what is a TRIM notice and why is it important?

It’s origin dates back to 1980 when the Florida Legislature passed the Truth in Millage (TRIM) Act. That act required all Property Appraisers to mail property owners a notice of proposed taxes. TRIM notices include information about:

• The current “Just Value” of your property
• Approved exemptions
• The governmental entities responsible for your taxes and
• The amount you owe each entity based on the value of your property

TRIM notices are mailed after proposed millage rates (tax rates) are set, but before taxing authorities take a final vote. That’s why the notice provides public
hearing dates, as well as contact information for each taxing authority, in case you would like to provide input before a final vote is taken.

TRIM notices are also important because they give you time to ask questions about the value of your property or the exemptions approved for the property.
They also provide information on how to appeal the property’s value or a denial of exemption. Questions related to property values and exemptions on TRIM
notices should be directed to the Property Appraiser.

Something else that’s very important? TRIM notices are NOT A BILL. Every year we get people coming into our offices to try and pay their TRIM notice. These
are for information only; nothing needs to be paid until you receive your official tax bill which is mailed in late October.

And speaking of Tax Bills, your tax bill will not match your TRIM notice. In most cases your tax bill will be higher. That’s because TRIM notices do NOT include
Non-Ad Valorem taxes, which are assessments based on services (not property values) provided to you. Examples include stormwater or solid waste
assessments. Thus, your TRIM notice will never match your tax bill because your tax bill will include those assessments.

So, when you receive your TRIM notice from the Property Appraiser, please open it and read it carefully. I hope this information is helpful and explains why
TRIM notices are important and how they differ from your tax bill.

Thank you for allowing me and my team to serve you. It is an honor.

Noelle Branning
Lee County Tax Collector

The Lee County Tax Collector’s (LCTC) Office has been honored as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Local Government Champion for its use of AWS services to transform the customer experience in the agency’s call center.

In FY22, the LCTC call center received over 350,000 phone calls. External feedback suggested improvements were needed to better serve customers. LCTC turned to AWS to improve productivity, enhance reporting and feedback tools, and provide flexibility.

“Working with AWS has changed the game for our customers, and for us,” explains Noelle Branning, Lee County Tax Collector. “The number of customers we have been able to help has increased, while the wait times have decreased. Plus, we can now track data to help us continually improve and provide 5-star service to our customers.”

“AWS is proud to recognize Lee County Tax Collector as a luminary of state and local government technology,” said Kim Majerus, Vice President of Global Education and U.S. State and Local Government at AWS.  “Noelle Branning and her team saw an opportunity to innovate on behalf of the citizens of Lee County using technology and used it to transform the services they provide to the public.”

Other innovations launched by the Lee County Tax Collector in the last year include: surrender plate drop boxes, Customer Care Carts, a new website, a digital customer service agent named Edison who can answer questions 24/7 at LeeTC.com, a queuing system where customers can check in on their phones and receive text notification updates about their visit, and a Smart Locker system to provide vehicle and vessel dealers next day turnaround on their title and registration documents.