Tallahassee, Florida
This week, four amendments aimed at reforming property taxes in Florida advanced closer to becoming law. These proposals, submitted in October, were reviewed by the Republican-controlled House State Affairs Committee, who ultimately voted in favor of each bill.
The amendments are primarily designed to lower property taxes for homeowners, mainly through various exemptions. For instance, HJR 201 seeks to create a non-school property tax exemption for all homestead owners.
Interestingly, a key aspect of these proposals is that they would prevent local governments from cutting law enforcement budgets merely because of a drop in property tax revenue.
State Rep. Tobin Oberdorf, who chairs the House Property Tax Select Committee, emphasized that school funding would remain unaffected by these changes.
The four proposals that received approval this Tuesday include:
HJR201 — Abolition of property tax
This resolution aims to create a homestead exemption for all non-school property taxes. It would also bar local governments from reducing law enforcement funding.
HJR205 — Property tax exemption (elderly)
This amendment exempts residents over 65 from non-school housing taxes, while also preventing cuts to law enforcement funding.
HJR 209 — Non-life insurance relief
HJR211 — Accrued tax benefits
This proposal allows for the transfer of accrued benefits from special limits on homestead assessments to a new homestead as a non-school levy. It also prevents local governments from making cuts to law enforcement funding.
Governor Ron DeSantis has actively supported efforts to lower property taxes, calling for a constitutional measure to be placed on the 2026 ballot.
However, the governor has expressed concerns about the multiple House proposals and prefers having a single, comprehensive amendment to streamline the process.
Property taxes, after all, are localized and fund essential services such as law enforcement and fire departments. Therefore, any changes would require amendments and support from at least 60% of voters in the upcoming election.
For now, these four amendments will be forwarded to the Ways and Means Committee, with only HJR 209 scheduled for discussion in the next meeting on December 10th. If all four amendments pass through their respective committees, they will then face a full House vote.
