By: Lidia Dinkova, Treasure Coast Newspapers
MARTIN COUNTY — The county needs to increase its property-tax rate 1.78 percent to replenish its reserves. It also needs the money to fully fund its golf course operations, the proposed animal-shelter costs and some administrative costs, according to county records.
Increasing the tax rate, along with the increase in property values countywide, would generate $13.2 million in fiscal year 2017-18, county records show.
"We would have hoped that the tax base would have gone up enough so that we wouldn't have to increase our taxes," County Administrator Taryn Kryzda said.
Property values went up 6.2 percent this year, which will generate $10.3 million…