ORLANDO, Fla. (CBS12) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he plans to pursue an amendment aimed at providing better protection for homeowners against rising property taxes by 2026 in a news conference on Monday morning.
“Of all the taxes that are impacting Floridians right now, property taxes are the most significant,” said DeSantis.
DeSantis noted that over the past few years, many homeowners in the state have seen their property values increase dramatically. He continued to say that while this trend has created wealth for some, it has also led to higher property tax assessments, putting financial pressure on residents.
DeSantis highlighted that many people bought their homes for $250,000 or less, only to find them now valued at over a million dollars.
During the news conference, DeSantis pointed out that even with the homestead exemption, many homeowners are still struggling with increased property tax bills. This issue is especially pronounced for elderly residents on fixed incomes, who often find it hard to adapt to these financial changes, he said.
To address these challenges, DeSantis announced plans to pursue a constitutional amendment aimed at providing better protection for homeowners against rising property taxes. He hopes to have this measure on the ballot by 2026. He emphasized the importance of focusing tax relief efforts on Florida residents rather than visitors or non-residents.
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Governor DeSantis stated that the House of Representatives has proposed dedicating $5 billion to tax relief. This proposal aims to reduce the state sales tax by three-quarters of a penny. DeSantis emphasized that this funding should primarily focus on lowering property taxes for Florida residents, arguing that if the money is allocated to sales tax reductions, it would primarily benefit non-residents.
“And if we do that, we would end up with about $1,000 in property tax cut for every homesteaded Floridian,” he said.
The Governor also mentioned the need for greater transparency in local government budgets. He expressed that many counties have increased their budgets significantly in recent years due to rising property tax revenues.
DeSantis noted that property tax relief does not mean sacrificing essential services such as law enforcement and education.
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