Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he will call a special legislative session beginning Monday, aimed at placing a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to eliminate homestead property taxes for Florida homeowners.
“And that will be historic,” DeSantis declared at a Tampa news conference.
The proposal would not happen overnight. The governor acknowledged it must be phased in to secure legislative and voter support. The first step would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 for all Florida homeowners, with the Legislature then required to enact a schedule leading to full elimination. DeSantis said this initial increase alone would eliminate property taxes for roughly 60 percent of Florida homeowners.
Under current law, homeowners receive exemptions on the first $25,000 of assessed value and on the $50,000 to $75,000 portion for non-school taxes. Florida’s “Save Our Homes” provision already caps annual taxable value increases at 3 percent for homestead properties.
To reach the ballot, the amendment would need approval from 60 percent of both the Florida House and Senate. Voters would then need to ratify it with a 60 percent supermajority.
DeSantis framed the push as a response to local governments consuming an ever-growing share of taxpayer dollars. “All the time the taxpayer is having to pay more and more for basically the same level of services,” he said.
The financial stakes are significant. An analysis by the Broward County Property Appraiser estimates homeowners would save an average of $1,800 annually, while Miami-Dade homeowners could save around $1,500 per year. But local governments would absorb major revenue losses — roughly $500 million in Miami-Dade and $329 million in Broward. Smaller cities face steeper proportional cuts, with Cooper City potentially losing 35 percent of its budget and Tamarac facing a 33 percent reduction.
Under the governor’s framework, remaining property tax revenue would be restricted to schools, law enforcement, and fire services, with a trust fund established to assist rural counties with limited tax bases.
House Speaker Daniel Perez welcomed the proposal coolly, noting the House had already passed its own version without coordination from the governor. Critics, including House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, warned of cascading consequences for libraries, first responders, and essential local services.
“Property taxes are not the real enemy here,” Driskell said.
