Florida State House Rep Wants to Eliminate Property Taxes

Florida State Representative Ryan Chamberlin is introducing legislation in the House Ways & Means Committee that would begin the process of doing away with local property taxes.

(HB 1371) would address property tax exemptions, plus looking to create certain exemptions from all taxation for real property.

Chamberlin’s bill would have the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) perform a study to look at the numbers on what it would take to replace property taxes. Chamberlin says his proposal is to get the ball rolling on phasing out and eliminating property taxes.

“Property tax is one of the most hated taxes in America,” said Rep. Ryan Chamberlin. “Under this taxation system, no one ever fully owns their property, and we are still constrained by the state government to pay rent to keep our property each year. With HB 1371, I hope to start Florida down the road to eliminating this tax. It is time for Florida to take the first step.”

The idea of eliminating property taxes in Florida isn’t new. In 2007, Florida House GOP lawmakers pursued the idea under then, House speaker Marco Rubio, to eliminate property taxes on homesteaded property and to replace some of the lost revenue with a 2.5 percent state sales tax increase.

The issue got a lot of airtime on talk radio and tons of national media coverage. While many conservatives supported the concept, it didn’t get too far with other GOP officials and Florida Democrats.

If Chamberlin’s proposal gains traction in both Chambers, expect to see big opposition to come out against it. Not only Democrats but school board districts along with the Florida League of Cities and the Florida League of Counties.

In his election last year, Chamberlin made property taxes a main theme of his campaign.