CLEWISTON -- The City of Clewiston Board of Commissioners set the property tax rate at 6.5134 mills during a special meeting held July 29.

The millage rate is the tax rate used to calculate local property taxes. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 property value.

Once set, the rate can move down but cannot go higher, Clewiston Finance Director Shari Howell told officials.

“The gross taxable value we received on July 1 is $1,868,939,” she said. “Nothing changed with the current millage.”

Howell said the rollback forms hadn’t beencompleted yet.

The rollback is the millage that would be used to finance last year’s budget based on the new year’s property appraisals.

If property values decrease the rollback rate might be higher than the last year’s millage rate and lower if property values decrease.

“Can you educate me on the local gas tax?” Commissioner Jim Pittman asked. “Why did that go down?”

While Howell didn’t have an answer, City Manager Randy Martin said he believed the pandemic created less use.

Commissioner Mali Gardener recommended following Howell’s suggestion of setting the rate at 6.5134, preferring to lower it later if necessary.