The short version: Mascotte homes are recorded by the Lake County Property Appraiser and billed by the Lake County Tax Collector. The City adopted 4.6019 mills for 2026, its rolled-back rate. Lake County Fire Rescue operates the City’s fire department, and Mascotte parcels also carry the county fire rescue levy. The City provides water, stormwater and garbage; sewer is available only in select areas, so confirm sewer or septic for the address. Each tenant change in a rental triggers a $50 City inspection, and lien searches are ordered through an outside vendor. None of The Villages’ residential districts lists Mascotte.
Mascotte, FL at a glance
| County | Lake CountyBordered by Groveland, Leesburg and Sumter County, per the City |
|---|---|
| Incorporated | 1925Established in the late 1800s, per the City |
| 2026 city millage | 4.6019 mills adopted4.6381 in 2025; 4.6019 is also the 2026 rolled-back rate |
| Fire service | City fire department operated by Lake County Fire & RescueMascotte parcels pay the county fire rescue/EMS levy: 0.4800 mills for 2026 |
| City utilities | Water, stormwater, garbage and recycling; sewer only in select areas |
| Monthly minimums | $35 water only or $84.33 with City sewer, plus a $7 stormwater fee |
| Water supply | Three City wells into the Floridan Aquifer, averaging about 520,000 gallons a day |
| Opening an account | $150 deposit and $35 connection fee per meter |
| Rentals | $50 change-of-occupancy inspection at each tenant change; $25 if it fails |
| Lien searches | Ordered through Orange Data Systems since November 10, 2025 |
| Garbage | Waste Pro, under City contract since October 1, 2025 |
| Villages district inside the city | None listed |
From the City of Mascotte’s about, fire, utility, water, sewer, sanitation, lien search and impact fee pages and its utility FAQ and welcome letter, the Lake County Property Appraiser’s 2026 final millage sheet, the Florida Department of Revenue’s 2025 Lake County table, Lake County’s floodplain page and the District Government’s district pages. Checked October 10, 2026.
Sewer or septic: the first question
The City’s utility services FAQ lists what it provides: water, stormwater management, sewer “available in select areas,” and garbage and recycling. So a Mascotte house can be on City water and a septic tank. Settle which before you write or accept an offer, because it changes the inspection list and the monthly bill.
The City’s welcome letter spells out the bill. Every residential water account inside city limits carries a $28 monthly availability charge whether or not water is used, and the minimum bill is $35 for water only or $84.33 for a home connected to City sewer, where the sewer availability charge alone is $49.33. A $7 stormwater fee is added each month. Water is billed in tiers, so heavy irrigation costs more per gallon. Where City sewer does serve a house, its sewer page puts the lateral line between the house and the main on the owner.
The water itself comes from three City wells into the Floridan Aquifer that supply a daily average of about 520,000 gallons, per the water division. Staff will help set an irrigation timer by appointment.
The tax line: city rate plus county fire
The Property Appraiser’s final sheet dated October 9, 2026 shows Mascotte at 4.6381 mills in 2025 and 4.6019 adopted for 2026, the same as its rolled-back rate. Taxable value in the city rose 17.49%.
Mascotte’s bill differs from its neighbors’ in one way. The City’s fire page says its fire department is operated by Lake County Fire & Rescue, and the state’s 2025 Lake County table lists Mascotte among the places that pay the county fire levy. Mascotte’s 2025 total was 17.2047 mills, including that 0.4800 fire levy. What Mascotte parcels skip is the county stormwater levy (0.4957 for 2026), which applies only to unincorporated land; the City bills its own $7 stormwater fee instead. By my arithmetic, the 2026 city rate adds about 4.11 mills over an unincorporated parcel with the same other levies, roughly $1,027 a year on $250,000 of taxable value.
Renting a Mascotte house
The welcome letter charges a $50 change-of-occupancy fee to a rental property at every tenant change. It pays for an inspection the City requires to check that the house meets building code standards, and a failed inspection costs another $25. The City’s FAQ says water service for a renter starts only after that inspection passes. New accounts, owner or tenant, take a $150 deposit and a $35 connection fee per meter, with photo ID and a deed, closing disclosure, settlement statement or lease.
Closing: the lien search goes through a vendor
Since November 10, 2025 the City has used Orange Data Systems for lien searches; orders go through that company’s website, not City Hall. Order it with the title work. To close a utility account, the seller files the disconnection form with photo ID and a forwarding address; the deposit is applied to the final bill and any remainder refunded the month after disconnection, per the welcome letter.
Building new: city impact fees
The City’s impact fee page, updated October 1, 2025, lists $861 for fire and $904 for police per new dwelling unit, a water impact fee of $2,710 per equivalent residential unit, and a wastewater fee of $850 per unit that the schedule says is subject to a pass-through impact fee to the City of Groveland. The page also shows Lake County’s impact fees. A lot buyer should price all of it into the land budget; a resale home does not pay them again.
Flood and storm records
Lake County’s floodplain section keeps an elevation certificate finder, written floodplain determinations from the County Floodplain Administrator and a 1981 Groveland/Mascotte drainage plan among its basin studies. Check the FEMA map for the parcel before the insurance quote, and sellers owe the flood disclosure at or before contract. For storms, the City points residents to its emergency management page, and Lake County’s Office of Emergency Management runs the special needs registry.
How I’d price and sell a Mascotte home
- Settle sewer or septic.
From the utility bill, then a septic inspection where there is a tank.
- Order the lien search early.
Through the City’s vendor, alongside title.
- Read the 2026 bill.
City rate, county fire levy and homestead status, from the Lake County Tax Collector.
- Sort the comps by setup.
Sewer against sewer, septic against septic, new construction apart from resale.
- Price from your net.
The seller net sheet first, then the list price.
The seller lived out of state, and it closed on July 22, 2026. It is in Lady Lake, but the Lake County closing steps are the ones a Mascotte owner living elsewhere would need. Read the case study.
Questions people ask about Mascotte, FL
Is every Mascotte home on city sewer?
No. The City of Mascotte lists water, stormwater management, garbage and recycling among its utility services and says sewer is available in select areas. Confirm whether a specific house is on City sewer or a septic system before you write or accept an offer.
What is the Mascotte city millage for 2026?
The City of Mascotte adopted 4.6019 mills for 2026, down from 4.6381 in 2025 and equal to its rolled-back rate, according to the Lake County Property Appraiser’s final millage sheet dated October 9, 2026. Mascotte parcels also pay the county fire rescue/EMS levy, 0.4800 mills for 2026.
Who provides fire service in Mascotte?
The City’s fire department is operated by Lake County Fire & Rescue, according to the City of Mascotte. The state’s millage table also lists Mascotte among the places that pay the county fire levy.
How do I order a lien search on a Mascotte property?
Since November 10, 2025, the City of Mascotte has used Orange Data Systems for lien searches. Orders are placed through that company’s website rather than at City Hall.
Is Mascotte part of The Villages?
No. None of The Villages’ residential district pages lists Mascotte. The District Government places The Villages’ Lake County areas in Fruitland Park, Leesburg and the Town of Lady Lake plus part of unincorporated Lake County.
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. The 2026 rates come from the Property Appraiser’s final sheet and the levy mix from the state’s 2025 table; I confirm the parcel’s own bill, sewer status and lien search before anything goes in a listing or an offer.
- City of Mascotte: About the City of Mascotte
- City of Mascotte: Fire
- City of Mascotte: Utility services and customer account information
- City of Mascotte: Frequently asked questions about utility services (PDF)
- City of Mascotte: Welcome letter for residential customers (PDF)
- City of Mascotte: Water division
- City of Mascotte: Sewer
- City of Mascotte: Sanitation services
- City of Mascotte: Lien searches
- City of Mascotte: Impact fees (schedule updated October 1, 2025)
- City of Mascotte: Emergency management
- Lake County Property Appraiser: 2026 Final Millage Rates and Values Comparison Sheet (dated October 9, 2026)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Lake County 2025 final millage rates by taxing district
- Lake County Property Appraiser
- Lake County Tax Collector
- Lake County Clerk of Courts (official records)
- Lake County: Floodplain Management
- Lake County: Office of Emergency Management
- District Government: Residential districts
- District Government: Village Community Development District 11 (City of Fruitland Park)
- District Government: Village Community Development District 14 (City of Leesburg)
- District Government: Lady Lake/Lake County
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Florida Statutes 689.302 (2026): flood disclosure in residential sales