Two houses on Fleming Island list within a few thousand dollars of each other. Same square footage, same move-in timing. One owner's November tax bill can still carry about $564 a year more than the other's, and the difference sits in a single line.
On this island, a home's carrying cost depends on more than the list price. Most of Fleming Island sits inside one of two Community Development Districts. Each charges assessments that show up on the Clay County property tax bill, and each pays down its bonds on its own schedule. Even inside one district, some lots have already prepaid their share of the debt. The median price on a search screen doesn't show any of this, and in a market where buyers have more homes to compare, it can be the line that separates two otherwise identical options.
The Line on the Tax Bill That Changes by Neighborhood
Fleming Island Plantation CDD's FY 2026-2027 adopted budget sets a per-unit annual assessment for every neighborhood in the district. The budget says these amounts will appear on the November 2026 Clay County property tax bill and that they already include the county's 2% collection cost and the early-payment discount of up to 4%.
| Unit type | O&M + capital reserve | Series 2021 debt service | FY 2027 total | FY 2026 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amberwood, Lake Ridge South, Woodlands, Fairway Village, Heritage Oaks, Chatham Village, Cypress Glen, Covington, Thornhill, John's Landing, Southern Links, The Links, River Hills Reserve, Margaret's Walk | $1,235.43 | $646.13 | $1,881.56 | $1,825.13 |
| Heritage Oaks, Chatham Village, John's Landing (prepaid lots) | $1,235.43 | $82.33 | $1,317.76 | $1,261.33 |
| Autumn Glen, Lake Ridge North, Carrington Place | $926.57 | $323.07 | $1,249.64 | $1,207.32 |
| Lighthouse Apts | $247.08 | $129.23 | $376.31 | $365.03 |
The year-over-year change is small. Standard single-family lots go up $56.43, or 3.09%. The bigger story is the second row. Three neighborhoods have the same street addresses but two different debt charges. A prepaid lot in Chatham Village pays $82.33 a year in debt service. The house next door may pay $646.13.
What "Prepaid" Means
According to the district's audited financial statements, advance assessments collected when lots closed went toward paying down the outstanding bonds. The annual debt-service assessment covers whatever those prepayments didn't. A lot whose share was paid up front carries a much smaller yearly debt line. Everything else on the bill is identical: both lots pay the same $1,235.43 for operations, maintenance and capital reserve.
So comparing two homes in Heritage Oaks or John's Landing by price alone leaves out a $563.80 annual gap. The gap is set by each lot's history, and the listing photos won't reveal it.
The Payoff Calendar Is the Real Variable
Debt service doesn't last forever. Fleming Island Plantation's current bonds are the Series 2021 issue, $15.59 million at 1.75%, which refunded the district's Series 2017 bonds and funded improvements. The amortization schedule in the adopted budget shows $8,010,000 still outstanding after the May 1, 2026 payment, with the last principal payment due May 1, 2031.
Eagle Harbor works differently. The Clay County Tax Collector's 2025 tax-roll schedule lists Eagle Harbor under The Crossings at Fleming Island CDD, and the district publishes its own Eagle Harbor map. That district carries four bond series. Its Series 2014 A-1 refunding bonds pay coupons of 4.0% to 4.5%, compared with Fleming Island Plantation's 1.75%.
Here is how each district's lead bond series winds down, by year:
| Balance after May 1 | Fleming Island Plantation Series 2021 | Crossings Series 2014 A-1 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $8,010,000 | $6,690,000 |
| 2027 | $6,465,000 | $5,130,000 |
| 2028 | $4,890,000 | $3,495,000 |
| 2029 | $3,290,000 | $1,785,000 |
| 2030 | $1,660,000 | Paid off |
| 2031 | Paid off | n/a |
That table makes Eagle Harbor look like it finishes first, and for Series 2014 A-1 and A-2 it does: both schedules end on May 1, 2030. Series 2014 A-3, though, runs to May 1, 2044, and Series 2017 has a stated maturity of May 1, 2044. Across all four series, the Crossings FY2027 budget shows $2,857,727 in on-roll special assessments set aside for debt service.
So in Eagle Harbor, the important question is which bond series a specific parcel is tied to, not just which district it's in. A lot tied only to the 2030 bonds has a very different future bill than one tied to bonds that run 14 more years. The district budget's residential table lists only the maintenance assessment. The debt charge for a given address shows up on that parcel's tax record.
The Maintenance Side Keeps Going
Paying off the bonds removes the debt line, not the whole assessment. In The Crossings, the FY2027 residential maintenance assessment is $800.35 per unit, up from $752.33 in FY2026, a 6% increase.
In Fleming Island Plantation, the $1,235.43 operations figure includes $136.67 per standard single-family lot for capital reserve, part of a $385,000 capital-reserve assessment across the district. The board's spending decisions show where that money goes. At its May 19, 2026 meeting, the Fleming Island Plantation board approved up to $11,000 for 600 more hours of amenity and maintenance staff time, and up to $8,500 for a Splash Park storage shed, paid from remaining bond proceeds. It tabled a courts-pavilion concrete and fencing proposal and a hydro-pumping proposal for Pond 34.
For a Fleming Island Plantation lot paying the standard rate, the May 2031 payoff removes $646.13 from the bill. The $1,235.43 operating share is set again by the board every year.
Why the November Vote Doesn't Change This Line
Florida voters decide Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. According to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's explainer, it needs 60% to pass, and any approved change would take effect January 1, 2027. Current 2026 law allows a homestead exemption of up to $51,411. The proposal would raise that to as much as $150,000 for non-school millages in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, while the $25,000 school-tax exemption stays the same.
None of it applies to CDD charges. The same explainer says homestead exemptions don't reduce non-ad valorem assessments. The Clay County Tax Collector describes CDD assessments as non-ad valorem charges imposed by the neighborhood district, separate from the millage rates set by taxing authorities. For a sense of scale, the county's posted 2025 tax-roll schedule lists a District 1 combined millage of 15.2523 mills, of which 8.8010 mills is county-only. That's last year's roll, and each parcel's taxing district determines which rate applies.
Whatever happens on November 3, a homestead exemption can lower the ad valorem part of a Fleming Island tax bill. The $1,881.56 or $1,317.76 CDD line stays the same.
Where the Disclosure Rule Stops
Florida Statutes section 190.048 requires a bold, conspicuous statement, placed just above the buyer's signature, saying the district may levy taxes and assessments in addition to county and other local taxes. The statute applies to contracts for the initial sale of a parcel or residential unit in the district. Fleming Island Plantation and Eagle Harbor are established communities, so most homes sold there today are resales. The statute's text names initial sales and says nothing specific about later ones. How disclosure works on a particular resale contract is a question for a Florida real estate attorney.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how any rule or assessment applies to a specific property with a real estate attorney, tax professional or lender.
Why It Matters More This Fall
The countywide market has slowed, and buyers have more homes to compare. The Northeast Florida Association of REALTORS September 2026 report, published October 8, puts Clay County's median single-family price at $355,000, down 4.1% from August. It also shows 48 median days on market, 954 active homes and 4.4 months of supply. In July 2026, the same county figures were 29 days on market, 1,094 active homes and 4.2 months of supply. These are countywide numbers, not figures for Fleming Island's 32003 ZIP code.
Homes now sit on the market noticeably longer than in midsummer, so there's more time to compare offers before deciding. On Fleming Island, part of any comparison is a figure that runs $1,317.76 on one lot and $1,881.56 on another in the same neighborhood, with a debt portion that ends in 2030, 2031 or 2044 depending on the district and the bond series.
Quick Answers
When does Fleming Island Plantation's CDD debt end? The Series 2021 amortization schedule shows the final principal payment on May 1, 2031.
When do owners see the FY2027 amounts? On the November 2026 Clay County property tax bill, according to the district's adopted budget.
Is Eagle Harbor in the same district as Fleming Island Plantation? No. Eagle Harbor is served by The Crossings at Fleming Island CDD, which has its own budget, maintenance rate and bond schedules.
If you're comparing Fleming Island homes this fall, pulling each one's CDD line, bond series and payoff date belongs in the comparison before you write an offer. Daly N Braxton will put the parcel records side by side with you so the real yearly cost of each house is clear. Schedule Your Consultation.
