TALLAHASSSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling Florida lawmakers back to the Capitol next week for a special session on property taxes, unveiling a proposal Wednesday that would ask voters to begin phasing out property taxes on homesteaded homes.
Speaking in Tampa, DeSantis said he will proclaim a special session beginning Monday. The goal, he said, is to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
The governor's proposal would initially raise the homestead exemption to $250,000. DeSantis said that would eliminate property taxes for about 60% of Florida homeowners with homesteaded property.
The proposal would also require the Legislature to create a schedule to eventually eliminate homestead property taxes altogether. DeSantis said increasing the exemption to $500,000 would make about 92% of homesteaded Florida homeowners property tax-free.
"The primary purpose of that is to make your homestead property tax-free," DeSantis said.
The plan would need approval from 60% of the House and Senate to reach the ballot. If lawmakers approve it, 60% of voters would then need to support the measure in November for it to become part of the state constitution.
The proposal also includes several guardrails. DeSantis said remaining local property tax revenue from commercial and non-homestead residential property would be limited to core services such as schools, police and fire services. The plan would also cut the annual assessment growth cap for small businesses from 10% to 5%.
Another provision would allow the state to require new Florida residents to wait up to five years before qualifying for the full property tax benefit. DeSantis said that the measure is intended to prevent the measure from creating a new incentive for people to move to Florida just to avoid property taxes.
The governor also said he would also seek a state trust fund to provide grants to local governments for core services, including in rural areas that may have a smaller tax base.
It's unclear if enough members in the House and Senate will support the measure. The upper chamber has been leery of cutting too broadly, potentially harming revenue in rural parts of the state. The House approved its own homestead exemption earlier this year. While it preserved funding for schools, it eliminated the taxes immediately rather than through a gradual phase-out.
Democrats have already raised concerns about the idea. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said Tuesday she had not seen consensus around a specific proposal, but warned that even modest property tax cuts could have serious effects on local governments.
"In conversations with the local governments that I serve, I'm hearing that any cut, even though it might seem small in the grand scheme of things, could be devastating," Driskell said.
She also argued that the state should be focused on property insurance instead, saying that is what residents raise most often at town halls.
"What they want to talk about is property insurance rates and how high they are," Driskell said.
Driskell said property taxes help pay for law enforcement, first responders, libraries and other local services. She warned that reducing those revenues could shift costs elsewhere or leave some counties dependent on state support.
DeSantis rejected the idea that the state should raise other taxes to offset the proposal, saying Florida already has a strong budget position and should use available state resources to help make property tax relief work.
The special session is expected to begin on Monday. Lawmakers would have to move quickly to finalize ballot language in time for voters to consider the measure in November.
Speaker of the House Daniel Perez released the following statement regarding the special session:
"The Florida House has already passed a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate homestead property taxes. We are pleased the Governor has finally gotten around to share an actual proposal. We look forward to reviewing it once we have received the language."