FAQs

Yes! However, only invasive/exotic plants are treated on private shorelines. If you want to clear your shoreline, please click here to learn how.   

What is an MSTU ?

The Orange County Comptroller coordinates the creation and administration of special assessment and taxing districts within the unincorporated areas of Orange County. They are created by the County for specialized purposes and are billed directly to property owners within each district on the annual property tax bill.

There are two types of districts. The first is a Municipal Service Taxing Unit ("MSTU"), which provides for the levy of a property tax millage rate, and the second is a Municipal Service Benefit Unit ("MSBU"), which provides for the establishment of a fixed rate assessment. These districts are created to provide services or improvements within a localized area, most typically a residential subdivision. Some examples of services and improvements provided through MSTUs and MSBUs are street lighting, retention pond and lake maintenance, common area maintenance, water and wastewater line installation, and subdivision wall construction.

How is the MSTU calculated?

An MSTU is based on ad valorem (value) taxes using a millage rate; property owners pay different rates based on their property value. The millage rate is a rate in dollars, per $1,000 of taxable value, set by each taxing authority based upon tax revenue required in their annual budget. The millage rate for the Lake Sue MSTU is 1.25.

 Here is how the millage rate is calculated: Tax Value of a property divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the millage rate. A homeowner whose property tax value is $500,000 would pay: $500,000/1000 *1.25= $ 625 per year.