Push is on to cut property taxes

Florida lawmakers are navigating a political minefield: whether to radically reshape or even eliminate property taxes that cities and counties use to pay for critical services, including police and fire-rescue. “This is a shift in the paradigm,” state Rep. Griff Griffitts, a Panama City Beach Republican, said as lawmakers wrapped up two days of in-depth hearings on the issue. “We have to figure it out, doing (so)in a very conscientious way.” What, if anything, to do around property taxes involves a thicket of complicated policy questions: How to pay for services—including public safety and schools. Whether some property owners are paying too much in property taxes. Trying to determine if local governments are wise stewards of tax money or profligate spenders. What taxes could be increased if property taxes are reduced. The late-September hearings, held in the state Capitol by the House Select Committee on Property Taxes, were serious and polite. Still, lawmakers and policy experts often talked past each other. And some legislators either didn’t understand, or chose to overlook, intricacies in the way the property tax system operates. “I felt like at the end of it, people came with preconceived ideas and left with those ideas—and didn’t allow themselves to be swayed with any of the information that was presented,” said state Rep. Kelly Skidmore, a Palm Beach County Democrat. There are major crosscurrents with political and policy implications that could mark political careers and upend much of Florida government and what people get for their money. Possibilities Property taxes could, in theory, be eliminated in Florida. Given that property taxes provide the bulk of the money for everyday operations of cities, towns, villages, counties and school districts, that would leave a yawning budget hole that could be filled by reducing services, increasing other taxes and fees, or a combination. Gov. Ron DeSantis started 2025 talking about elimination of property taxes, but more and more politicians are now talking about doing something that increases the already substantial property tax benefits enjoyed by residential homeowners. Total value of all property, including residential and commercial, in Florida in 2025 is$5.39 trillion, documents provided from the Department of Revenue to the tax committee showed. Taxable value was reduced$889.1 billion by Save Our Homes and$249.7 billion from homestead exemptions. Currently the taxable value of owner-occupied homes is reduced by two$25,000 homestead exemptions for a combined total of up to$50,000.Residential homeowners also have Save Our Homes protection, which... https://enewspaper.sun-sentinel.com/shortcode/SUN315/edition/1f5a8a52-96b7-4ac8-8d7f-192657a65f65?page=e10f963c-0010-47bd-bf64-0f7e53c78d0e&