Florida voters will decide whether to slash property taxes for homesteads come November, after the Florida Legislature passed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal on Tuesday.
During a special session that started on Monday, the Florida House voted 75 to 26, and the Senate 30 to 9 to send the proposed constitutional amendment to voters. The amendment, called “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” would raise the $50,000 homestead exemption on primary residences to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, the Miami Herald reported. It would require 60 percent approval from voters to become law.
Local governments, firefighters, police departments and other public services have warned of major cuts if the amendment passes. In an op-ed published in the newspaper this week, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava wrote that while she has fought for tax relief her entire career, eliminating or severely reducing property taxes would be “catastrophic” for Miami-Dade.
“There is a profound difference between thoughtful, sustained tax relief and what the state is now proposing: the wholesale dismantling of the property tax system that funds the essential services that make our community run,” she wrote, adding that, “This affects your safety, your children’s schools and the quality of life you have built here.”
The elimination of property taxes could create a $55 billion funding gap for public services.
The proposal comes with other changes.
Starting in 2028, the homestead exemption would be increased based on the consumer price index.
People who move to Florida after 2026 would be banned from receiving the tax benefit for five years.
Annual assessment increases on non-homesteaded property would be capped at 10 percent, up from the current cap of 5 percent.
If it passes, the constitutional amendment would save Floridians thousands of dollars in property taxes. But those savings could be moot, resulting in a cost shift via taxes on other goods such as fuel and food, said Rep. Robin Bartleman, a Weston Democrat. “You are going to pay for these services somehow,” Bartleman said.
It could also reduce housing affordability, according to The Real Deal’s columnist, housing expert Jonathan Miller.
— Katherine Kallergis
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