On Feb. 19, 80 Florida House members said “yes” to an initiative that would ask voters whether they support abolishing all property taxes, besides those collected for school districts, on homestead properties.
Filed by Republican Rep. Monique Miller, of Palm Bay, House Joint Resolution 203 proposes a state constitutional amendment that would gradually eliminate non-school ad valorem taxes on homesteads over a 10-year period; it would be achieved through annually increasing the homestead exemption by $100,000.
“Floridians are clamoring for relief in the form of property tax,” Miller said on the House floor. “The House is working hard to answer the call.”
With House approval, HJR 203 awaits consideration among members in the Senate, who haven’t released a property tax proposal as of Feb. 25. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently said he’s working closely with Senate members on a ballot initiative as it relates to property tax.
Joint resolutions such as Miller’s HJR 203 need approval among three-fifths of the state legislature. If that’s achieved, state voters would be asked if they support erasing all property taxes, besides ad valorem dollars for schools, at the November 2026 election. House joint resolutions do not need the governor’s approval to reach the ballot.
The measure would need at least 60% of Florida voters to say “yes.” If the voter threshold is met, the phaseout would begin Jan. 1, 2027. State legislators would need to approve a bill to implement the phaseout and eventual property tax elimination.
HJR 203 also prohibits local governments from reducing services provided by first responders below the dollar amount of the current fiscal year. Thirty opponents to the measure, all Democrats, voiced concerns during the House session on how the funding cuts could affect essential services among Florida’s 400-plus municipalities.
“You are freezing budgets for local governments for public safety while decreasing — eliminating — a huge chunk of their revenue. How are they supposed to do that?” said Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani, of Orlando.
Democratic Rep. Robin Bartleman, who represents Broward County, introduced an amendment to ensure long-term public safety funding by requiring the state to backfill public safety costs for municipalities. She said Miller’s proposal creates a “floor and ceiling” for public safety. She said the bill doesn’t keep track of future needs as cities grow, staffing grows and equipment costs.
“We know new fire trucks have gone up 140%,” Bartleman said.
Bartleman’s amendment was rejected by the Republican majority.
Concerns were also shared among Democratic members over the property tax burden possibly shifting to commercial properties and renters.
Before the discussion and debate on the floor, Florida House Speaker Danny Perez told members that they arrived at a “turning point of session” with a proposal that may be the most “aggressive legislation ever passed by a legislative chamber on property taxes in the U.S.” Talks over eliminating property taxes were heard a year ago by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but he’s yet to release any specific proposal.
When session ended last May, Perez convened a 37-member House Select Committee on Property Taxes. Out of the committee came several proposals either to reduce the property tax burden on certain groups, such as property owners over 65, or eliminate them altogether.
Perez said the House is open to the Senate’s ideas, provided they ever materialize.
“This chamber has collapsed the space between what we say and what we do,” he said.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper said last week that the chamber will be careful with what they do. He said the chamber’s plan will not be as generous as the plan in the House to eliminate all non-school property taxes on homesteads.
State Rep. Jim Mooney, who represents the Keys and a portion of south Miami-Dade, voted in favor of HJR 203. In an interview in January with the Keys Weekly, Mooney said he voted “yes” on House joint resolutions, like 203, in committee to give voters the ultimate say.
“It doesn’t mean I like it, but it would be unfair for me to vote ‘no.’ I can’t make the call for the voter,” he said.
Charles Chapman, legislative consultant for the Florida League of Cities, said proposals like Miller’s would end up becoming a tax shift.
“The burden will shift to businesses, the renters, because fees, assessments, higher non-homestead millage rates could replace the homestead tax break,” he said.
Miller acknowledged local government budgets rose exponentially over the years. For instance, she said Orange County saw a 90% increase in its budget in the last five years. She said municipalities will need to have hard discussions about spending.
Some governments already had those talks. Monroe County slashed 45 full-time positions and discontinued Freebee rideshare service in the Lower Keys during the last budget cycle. And 50%, or $1.1 million, in county funding was cut for human services nonprofits.
