How the Florida House wants to cut property taxes
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Four proposed constitutional amendments to slash property taxes in Florida are nearing the floor of the state House.
Why it matters: The proposals intend to exempt homestead properties, a homeowner's principal residence, from some or all property taxes — leaving in place only those levied by school districts.
- Analysts say they could cost local governments billions of dollars, money now used for critical infrastructure and emergency services.
Between the lines: House Speaker Daniel Perez announced seven joint resolutions and one bill in October aimed at property tax relief, with the intention of offering voters a menu of options on the 2026 ballot.
- "If we have faith in the voters to elect us," Perez wrote, "we should not be afraid to let them be a part of the conversation about the taxes they pay."
- All of the proposals exclude school taxes and bar local governments from cutting funds for law enforcement. Last week, four of them advanced to the Ways and Means Committee, their final stop before the House floor.
Zoom in: Here are the proposals on the table.
HJR 201, sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Steele of Dade City, would exempt homestead properties from all property taxes levied by counties, cities or special districts.
- If approved by voters, the amendment would cut local non-school property tax revenue by $14 billion initially, and by about $18.3 billion every year after, according to a legislative analysis.
HJR 205 would create a homestead exemption only for homeowners ages 65 and older. The limited scope would result in smaller losses: about $5.1 billion initially and $6.7 billion every year after, per a legislative analysis.
HJR 209 would increase the existing homestead exemption of $25,000 by $200,000 for homeowners with "comprehensive homeowners property insurance."
- Analysts expect the amendment would result in revenue losses for local governments totaling about $6.6 billion initially and $8.6 billion each year thereafter, per a legislative analysis.
HJR 211 would tweak the so-called "Save Our Homes" benefit. It caps annual increases in assessed property values, which are used to determine homeowners' tax bills.
- If approved, this amendment would let homeowners fully transfer the benefit when they move, even when they downsize to smaller homes.
- It would result in revenue losses for local governments totaling about $42.7 million initially and $336.8 million each year thereafter, per a legislative analysis.
Friction point: None of the proposals has a Senate counterpart, and the House has already drawn criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said placing several property tax measures on the ballot was "a political game."
- "More than one property tax measure on the ballot represents an attempt to kill anything on property taxes," DeSantis wrote on X.
Democrats have also derided the House's efforts, although for different reasons. State Rep. Lindsay Cross told Axios that "the need for services is not going to decrease if property taxes decrease."
- "There's just going to have to be a shift in where that money comes from... and that shift would likely fall on lower-income residents," she added.