One of the offices up for election this year is the Hillsborough County property appraiser. Bob Henriquez is seeking reelection. Henriquez stands out as a candidate with a proven track record of fiscal responsibility, technological advancement and genuine concern for the county’s citizens.
Throughout his tenure, Henriquez has demonstrated a relentless drive to enhance the efficiency of the Property Appraiser’s Office while minimizing the tax burden on residents. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, Henriquez has proposed a budget decrease of 1.09 percent from the previous year. Thanks to these and previous efficiencies during his 12-year tenure as property appraiser, Henriquez’s office has returned nearly $3.2 million to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Henriquez is a fifth-generation resident of Hillsborough County and a former head football coach for his alma mater, Tampa Catholic High School. Henriquez graduated from Princeton University and played football there.
“As the son of a house painter who was the first in my family to attend college, I fully understand the financial pressures that our citizens are facing due to ongoing inflation,” said Henriquez.
“I have made it a priority to listen to our citizens’ concerns and find ways to alleviate the tax burden many are feeling as property values rise,” added Henriquez.
A recent financial report from the Florida Department of Revenue highlighted Henriquez’s office as operating with the lowest budget per capita among the state’s 67 county property appraiser offices.
The primary duty of the Property Appraiser’s Office is to assess the full market value of the approximately 557,000 properties in Hillsborough County as of January 1 each year and issue property tax exemptions to all qualified owners. During his tenure, Henriquez has leveraged cutting-edge technologies to reduce his total number of employees from 133 when he first took office in 2013 to its current level of 108.
Of all the property tax exemptions Henriquez’s office is responsible for, the most important is homestead exemption. This exemption is vital because it statutorily caps the taxed value of a property from increasing more than 3 percent per year, offering significant savings and stability for homeowners.
The property appraiser has no authority to raise or lower taxes. Henriquez strives to help citizens of the county understand the rate at which a property is taxed is set by elected officials at the city and county levels, as well as by other taxing authorities.
For more information, please visit www.vote4coachbob.com.
