BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER—Residential growth increased in Union County in 2023, with the highest number of new homes built in the past eight years and new mobile homes the highest since 2016, but for the second year running, there has been no new commercial construction in the county.
Thirty-six new homes were permitted in 2023, ranging in square footage from 640 to 5,074, with an average of 2,524. Only two of these homes were more than 5,000 sq. ft. Continuing a seven-year trend, permits for new mobile homes have outnumbered new houses, with 39 permitted in 2023, all but six being double- or triple-wide homes, with sizes ranging from 16×76 to 45×66.
The year’s new construction has increased the county’s tax rolls. In 2022, the taxable value for all of the property in Union County was $312,328,669, an increase of $18,607,811 over 2021. For 2023, the taxable values have increased another $41,764,656 to a total of $354,093,325. This increase reflects the value of the new construction only, less any applicable exemptions and deductions the owner is entitled to, as the value of the land itself does not increase. Also, a new building that was not completed by the end of the year or that has not yet begun but was permitted in 2023 is not included in the figures for the year. All taxable values are determined by Union County Property Appraiser Bruce Dukes at the time construction is complete and the home is ready to be moved into.
