SOUTH BAY, Fla. — Despite loud warnings from rural counties and cities, lawmakers in the Florida House pushed ahead with one of its most aggressive property tax ideas, phasing out the elimination of non-school property taxes for homesteads.
WPTV continues asking how cutting property taxes could affect both small and large towns and cities.
WATCH BELOW: Worries grow in small towns over possible property tax cuts
On Thursday, we drove out to the western communities along Lake Okeechobee to ask about the potential impacts of losing property taxes.
South Bay has a population of 5,100 on the south side of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County. Like many other small cities and towns in Florida, they rely heavily on property taxes to keep things running.
In the small city hall on Southwest Second Avenue, South Bay Mayor Joe Kyles wonders what lawmakers in the State Capitol will decide about property taxes.
"The thing about it is, they're not in the city. We're in the city each and every day," Kyles said. "We see the services that have to be rendered to our residents, the individuals in the Capitol don't see any of this here."
Republicans in Tallahassee are focused this legislative session on cutting property taxes in cities, towns and counties by either increasing the homestead exemption or even eliminating non-education taxes.
"Property taxes are going to be on the agenda, where we go with it is still very much up in the air," state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, told WPTV on the first day of the legislative session at the State Capitol. "You have to look at the services that are provided through those taxes, but there are things that can be done, and we have to look very carefully at that."
In South Bay, Kyles said services the city provides — maintaining parks and centers, roads and trash pickup and paying for emergency services from Palm Beach County — could be at risk.
The city has an annual budget of $2.7 million and just 21 city employees.
"We have to get back and take a good look at our budget and see how we will operate for 2026, cutting manforce in the city of South Bay and other services in the city," Kyles said.
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
