Lee County taxpayers can see exactly how their tax dollars were collected, managed and spent in Lee County Clerk & Comptroller Kevin Karnes’s newly-released annual financial report.

The award-winning report, titled The Sand Dollar, is a free, easy-to-read guide that outlines trends in county property taxes, housing, employment, and major construction projects impacting residents. It also includes information on county revenue and expenses, tourism revenue, investments and debt. This issue of The Sand Dollar is based on fiscal year 2025, which began on Oct. 1, 2024, and ended on Sept. 30, 2025.

The Sand Dollar is issued annually by Clerk Karnes, who is responsible for managing and auditing all county funds. As Comptroller for Lee County, Clerk Karnes is responsible for managing and investing more than $2.14 billion of Lee County’s tax dollars annually.

“As good stewards of taxpayer dollars, we owe it to our citizens to make sure they are informed on how their tax dollars are being used. I am committed to transparency, which is why my team produces this financial guide detailing the county’s economic health,” said Karnes. “I really encourage you to either download or pick up a free copy of The Sand Dollar so you can learn all about the state of the county’s finances.”

This is the fifth consecutive year the Clerk has released The Sand Dollar. Highlights of this year’s report include:

• Lee County is home to one of the fastest-growing populations in the state, increasing by 23.3% since 2016.
• The median single-family home sales price decreased 2.1% over the last fiscal year while total home sales decreased by 1.1%.
• Property tax collections increased 13.8% since the last fiscal year and 105.8% over the past decade. In Fiscal Year 2025, Lee County hit a new record, with more than $626.9 million in property taxes collected.
• Impact fees increased 2.5% over the previous fiscal year. These fees ensure that new development helps pay for the increased transportation, parks, schools, fire protection and emergency medical services that will be needed by that development.

The Sand Dollar can be viewed and downloaded at www.leeclerk.org/thesanddollar. Hard copies of the report are available at all county libraries and the Clerk’s offices.

The Sand Dollar compliments the Clerk’s recently-announced Sand Dollar Snapshot website, which further promotes transparency in government spending by allowing users to view live, multi-year financial data from the Clerk, Board of County Commissioners, and Port Authority. You can access the Sand Dollar Snapshot by visiting www.leeclerk.org/SDS.