DeSantis first publicly floated the idea in a social media post last month, but included it in his State of the State address on March 4.
“While Florida property values have surged in recent years, this has come at a cost to taxpayers squeezed by increasing local government property taxes,” he said. “Escalating assessments have created a gusher of revenue for local governments — and many in Florida have seen their budgets increase far beyond the growth in population. Taxpayers need relief.”
DeSantis equated the concept of property taxes to “renting from the government” “just to live in your own property.” He said he was aware that lawmakers were studying the issue to potentially place on the ballot in 2026, which would likely mean a revision to the state’s constitution.
Legislative deliberation has been happening quickly, with the Journal reporting that lawmakers have filed multiple potential bills on the matter ranging from measures designed to repeal property taxes altogether, to those that may offer more targeted relief for certain groups like seniors.
On Thursday, the Florida Legislature passed a bill amendment in a committee meeting that would “prohibit consideration of any change or improvement made to homestead property to mitigate flood damage in determining assessed value” for tax purposes.
“Hurricanes and other storms that result in flooding have caused billions of dollars in damage across all parts of Florida,” an analysis of the amendment reads. “Flooding is one of Florida’s most frequent hazards, and can happen any time of the year. Flood insurance can assist with recovery after a flooding incident, but most homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage.”
But another big driver of the growing opposition to rising property taxes is its impact on the older population, a large — and growing — segment of Florida’s overall population.
“You’re seeing a groundswell of opposition to property taxes generally,” according to Jared Walczak, VP of state projects at the Tax Foundation, an international research think tank. The backlash is “reminiscent of a wave of protest in the 1970s and 1980s that triggered ballot measures including Proposition 13 in California that capped property taxes,” the report said based on Walczak’s input.
Wyoming, Kansas and Montana are similarly weighing methods for reining in property taxes, he explained, but North Dakota voters this past November rejected a ballot initiative that would’ve eliminated property taxes. Local media in that state reported that the ultimate nail in the coffin for the measure there was voter concerns related to a disruption in both local and state services, since property taxes are levied by local authorities.
In Florida, a similar debate is emerging, with opponents saying that the resulting loss to government services would make the state’s residents worse off, not better.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat representing Orlando and parts of its eastern flank, told the outlet that she could support targeted relief for older Floridians but said an outright ban or rescission of property taxes would be “a terrible idea.” It could also force the state to raise the sales tax, she said.
Republican state Sen. Don Gaetz also voiced skepticism, wondering what could replace local property taxes without impacting constituents’ ability to connect with services.
