Welcome To The Lee County Property Appraiser's Office

Matt Caldwell is a 7th generation Florida native, whose family came to Micanopy in 1826. Matt was born in Gainesville but grew up in Lee County where he met his wife, Yvonne. They live there today, where they raise their daughter, Ava. In his private life, Matt is a deacon at their church, Gulf Coast Church of Christ and spends time focused on his timber and cattle business. He also enjoys the outdoor lifestyle that Florida offers: fishing, golfing, kayaking, hunting, and camping, to name a few. After attending local schools in Lee County, Matt received his Associate’s Degree from Edison College, a Bachelor of Arts in History from Florida Gulf Coast University, and a Master of Science in Forestry Resources and Conservation with a concentration in Geomatics from the University of Florida.

Lee County Property Appraiser
Matthew H. Caldwell While an undergraduate, he began his career as a real estate appraiser, ultimately joining the firm of Maxwell, Hendry, Simmons in 2004, where he remains of counsel. He has attained the highest state certification in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in multiple state and federal courts.

Matt was the Republican nominee for Florida State Senate, District 27, in 2008, and a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010-2018. During his tenure, he served on and chaired several committees including: tax policy, redistricting, insurance & banking, agriculture & natural resources/public lands, transportation & infrastructure, local, federal, & military affairs, and oversight of government operations, such as pensions & elections. He is proud to have sponsored, and have the Governor sign into law, dozens of bills, including those related to agriculture, natural resources, public safety, cannabis reform, medical care, criminal justice reform, pensions, and term limits, among others. He also served on the Board of the Assembly of State Legislatures, a national organization focused on the implications of Article V of the US Constitution. In 2018, he was the Republican nominee for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

In 2020, he was elected to serve as the Lee County Property Appraiser, following the retirement of 40-year incumbent Ken Wilkinson. As the author of numerous Constitutional Amendments, including Save Our Homes, Working Waterfronts, and Portability, Wilkinson set a standard of excellence for public service. Matt is proud to continue Ken’s legacy as an advocate for the taxpayer; using the platform as a Constitutional Officer to support good government at the local, state, and federal levels.

Outside of serving in elected office, Matt volunteered for appointment to various governmental committees regarding financial oversight, audits, land use and transportation. He championed Everglades restoration as a member of the Lake Okeechobee Water Resources Advisory Committee (2006 – 2008) and participated in the constitutional review of the Lee County Charter (2008), and the M-CORES Southwest-Central Florida Task Force (2019 – 2020). After returning to elected life, he supplemented his public service as a member of the OPPAGA Local Government Efficiency Task Force (2021), was a board member and chair of the FGCU Center for Agribusiness Advisory Committee (2019 – 2024) and served as a volunteer co-chair for the successful “Yes on 2”, the Right to Hunt and Fish, effort for the 2024 ballot. Matt continues to be a strong presence in our community, as a member of the Real Estate Investment Society of SWFL and serving on the board of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers and the Richloam Museum. He is also the incoming president of the Florida State Parks Foundation. He is also currently adjunct teaching a course on “Sustainable Real Estate” at Florida Gulf Coast University.