The short version: Tavares homes are recorded by the Lake County Property Appraiser and billed by the Lake County Tax Collector. Inside city limits, the City adopted 6.9610 mills for 2026, up from 6.6850 in 2025, per the Property Appraiser’s final sheet dated October 9, 2026. The City provides water, wastewater, reclaimed water and stormwater service; its utility pages do not list electric, so confirm the power company for the address. The City says water heater and A/C replacements, exterior windows and doors, fences and sheds all need permits. None of The Villages’ residential districts lists Tavares.
Tavares, FL at a glance
| County | Lake County (county seat) |
|---|---|
| History | Founded 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams; incorporated 1919 |
| City utilities | Potable water, wastewater, reclaimed water for irrigation and stormwaterRun as a government-owned enterprise funded by customer rates, per the City |
| Water and sewer | Available throughout the City of Tavares, per the City; accounts opened at City Hall, 201 E. Main St. |
| 2026 city millage | 6.9610 mills adopted6.6850 in 2025; 2026 rolled-back rate 6.4412; listed on the sheet as general fund only |
| Fire service | Tavares Fire Department, two stations, advanced life support; responds jointly with Lake EMS |
| Seaplane base | City-owned public-use base on Lake Dora, licensed by the State as a public airport in 2010 |
| Golf carts | Allowed on approved city roads; across US 441 and SR 19 only at two approved crossings |
| County offices in town | Lake County Office of Emergency Management, 425 W. Alfred St. |
| Villages district inside the city | None listed |
From the City of Tavares’s history, utility, permit, golf cart, fire and flood pages, the Lake County Property Appraiser’s 2026 final millage sheet, Lake County’s floodplain and emergency management pages and the District Government’s district pages. Checked October 10, 2026.
The 2026 city rate went up
The Lake County Property Appraiser’s final sheet dated October 9, 2026 shows Tavares at 6.6850 mills in 2025, a 2026 rolled-back rate of 6.4412, a proposed 7.2000 and an adopted 6.9610. The adopted rate is 4.13% above last year’s and 8.07% above rolled-back. On the same sheet, Eustis and Mount Dora held their 2025 rates.
One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of taxable value, so the 0.2760-mill increase adds about $55 a year on $200,000 of taxable value, before any change in the value itself. Taxable value in the city rose 7.90% on the sheet. The city line sits on top of the county’s 5.0254 general fund mills, the 6.0540-mill school total and smaller levies. The sheet also shows a county fire rescue/EMS levy (0.4800) and stormwater levy (0.4957) charged on a taxable base less than half the size of the county’s, so not every Lake County parcel pays them. The bill for the parcel shows which apply.
The City runs the water, not the power
Per the City’s utilities page, the Tavares Utilities Department provides potable water, wastewater treatment and reclaimed water for irrigation, and handles stormwater operations. It is funded by customer rates rather than taxes. The water and sewer page says service is available throughout the city and accounts are opened at City Hall; only the account holder can close an account, and a final bill follows.
Electric service is not on that list. A buyer should ask the seller who sends the power bill and look at a year of statements. If the house has a reclaimed-water irrigation connection, that belongs in the listing too, because it changes the water bill.
The permit list buyers ask about
The City publishes a short list of work that requires a permit:
- Fences, new or replacement, and sheds or other accessory structures.
- Residential alterations, exterior windows and doors, and garage door replacement.
- Plumbing work, including a water heater replacement.
- Mechanical work, including an A/C change-out, and irrigation when a new irrigation meter goes in.
Several of them, like the water heater and the A/C, are things a home inspector typically notes. If the water heater or A/C was swapped without a permit, a seller is better off finding out before listing than during the inspection period. I ask the City’s Community Development department for the permit history early.
Lake Dora, the seaplane base and flood maps
Downtown sits on Lake Dora. The City’s history page describes its city-owned public-use seaplane base, licensed by the State as a public airport in 2010, and Wooton Park, a block from Main Street, with picnic pavilions and boat ramps. For a home near the water, flood status is the first question. The City’s flood safety page directs FEMA flood zone determination questions to its GIS manager.
Lake County’s Floodplain Management section adds two tools: an elevation certificate finder searchable by address, and written floodplain determinations from the County Floodplain Administrator. It notes the county’s flood insurance rate map was last updated in 2012, with later FEMA revisions loaded since. Sellers owe the written flood disclosure at or before contract.
Golf carts: two crossings, not everywhere
The City’s golf cart page allows golf carts, low-speed vehicles and neighborhood electric vehicles on approved city roads. They may cross US 441 or SR 19 only at Dead River Road and SR 19, or at US 441 and St. Clair Abrams Avenue/Banning Beach Road. They are not allowed in parks, including Wooton Park, on sidewalks, bike paths, boat ramps or seaplane ramps. Police offer free, voluntary registration. The City has no insurance requirement, but says the State may, depending on the cart’s top speed.
A buyer who wants to drive a cart downtown should map the route from the actual house first. Tavares is not part of The Villages: the District Government places The Villages’ Lake County portions in Fruitland Park (District 11), Leesburg (District 14) and the Town of Lady Lake with part of unincorporated Lake County.
How I’d price and sell a Tavares home
- Read the 2026 bill line by line.
City line or not, which county levies apply and homestead status, from the Lake County Property Appraiser and the Lake County Tax Collector.
- Close the permit gaps.
Water heater, A/C, windows, doors, fences and sheds against the City’s list, before photos.
- Document water, sewer, reclaimed and power.
City account details and the electric company’s name, with recent bills.
- Sort the comps by water.
Lakefront, lake-view and dry lots are different markets. Then I adjust for age, roof, systems and condition.
- Price from your net.
Start from what you want to walk away with on the seller net sheet, then set the price.
Closed July 22, 2026 for a seller who lived out of state. Lady Lake, not Tavares, but the county records and tax collector are the same. How that sale ran.
Questions people ask about Tavares, FL
What is the Tavares city millage for 2026?
The City of Tavares adopted 6.9610 mills for 2026, up from 6.6850 in 2025, according to the Lake County Property Appraiser’s final millage sheet dated October 9, 2026. The rolled-back rate was 6.4412. The city levy is added to county, school and other levies for parcels inside city limits.
Does the City of Tavares provide electricity?
The City’s utility pages list potable water, wastewater treatment, reclaimed water for irrigation and stormwater, not electric service. Confirm which company provides power to the specific address and ask for recent bills.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater or A/C in Tavares?
Yes. The City of Tavares lists plumbing work including water heater replacement, and mechanical work including an A/C change-out, among the work that requires a permit. Its list also includes fences, sheds, exterior windows and doors and garage doors.
Where can I drive a golf cart in Tavares?
On approved city roads. Golf carts may cross US 441 or SR 19 only at Dead River Road and SR 19, or at US 441 and St. Clair Abrams Avenue/Banning Beach Road. They are not allowed in parks, on sidewalks, bike paths, boat ramps or seaplane ramps.
Is Tavares part of The Villages?
No. None of The Villages’ residential district pages lists Tavares. 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; I still confirm the parcel’s own bill, permits and utility accounts before anything goes in a listing or an offer.
- City of Tavares: About Tavares (history, seaplane base)
- City of Tavares: Utilities
- City of Tavares: Water and sewer services
- City of Tavares: Required permits list
- City of Tavares: Golf carts
- City of Tavares: Fire Department
- City of Tavares: Flood safety and awareness
- Lake County Property Appraiser: 2026 Final Millage Rates and Values Comparison Sheet (dated October 9, 2026)
- Lake County Property Appraiser
- Lake County Tax Collector
- 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: flood disclosure in residential sales