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By Aliss Higham
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Florida is moving closer to potentially reshaping how property taxes affect homeowners, with a series of proposals aimed at reducing the burden on Sunshine State residents.
Why It Matters
Property taxes have skyrocketed in Florida and around the country following the pandemic homebuying frenzy, when a surge in demand clashing with a chronic lack of inventory nationwide sent property values through the roof. Governor Ron DeSantis has urged state lawmakers to come up with a plan to ease the burden on Florida homeowners, but he has been critical of some of the proposals put forth.
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What To Know
On Thursday, the Republican-led House Select Committee on Property Taxes approved seven constitutional amendments and one bill as part of its agenda for the 2026 legislative session.
The approved amendments, if passed by voters in November 2026, could significantly change Florida’s tax system.
House Speaker Daniel Perez said the proposals aim to protect funding for essential services while giving families tax relief.
“These measures are designed to shield funding for schools and law enforcement,” said Perez.
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The Florida Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, estimated in September that eliminating homestead property taxes could cost local governments around $18.5 billion annually.
The bills are as follows:
- HJR 201: Proposes full elimination of non-school property taxes for homestead properties while preserving funding for school districts. It also prevents municipalities from reducing law enforcement budgets.
- HJR 203: Similar to HJR 201 but implements a gradual phase-out, increasing the exemption by $100,000 annually over 10 years.
- HJR 205: Targets homeowners 65 and older, exempting them from non-school property taxes and preserving law enforcement funding.
- HJR 207: Introduces a homestead exemption for non-school levies equal to 25 percent of the assessed value after existing exemptions, also protecting police budgets.
- HJR 209: Focuses on homesteads with property insurance, increasing existing exemptions by $100,000 and safeguarding school levies and law enforcement funding.
- HJR 211: Expands the portability of the Save Our Homes benefit, allowing homeowners to transfer increased exemptions to new homesteads, excluding school taxes but maintaining police funding.
- HJR 213: Caps all property assessment increases at 3 percent per year or based on the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, including school levies but excluding law enforcement funding.
- HB 215: Revises Save Our Homes portability benefits for newly married couples and requires a two-thirds vote by local governments to approve millage rate increases. Unlike the constitutional amendments, HB 215 would not need voter approval.
Proponents argue that these changes will put more money back into homeowners’ pockets while still protecting schools and law enforcement. Critics, however, warn that slashing property taxes simply shifts the financial burden to other sources or forces cuts to services relied on by Florida residents.
What People Are Saying
Republican Representative Toby Overdorf, who leads the Select Committee on Property Taxes, said: “Local government property tax is increasing at an unsustainable rate and is causing undue financial burden on Florida’s citizens, homeowners and businesses. It is time to put money back in the hands of Floridians.”
Charles Chapman, a legislative consultant for the Florida League of Cities, said, according to the Pensecola News Journal: “Cities will be faced with some very tough choices to fund the services which make our communities special to our residents.
"In truth, reducing homestead property taxes shifts the tax burdens to others. Property tax reform does not actually yield in-your-pocket cash savings to the taxpayer, it simply rearranges the furniture and how things are actually funded.”
What Happens Next
Amendments to the constitution will need to be passed by voters.
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