As South Florida residents and others across the state struggle with soaring property tax bills, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled a new initiative aimed at curbing the financial burden on homeowners.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, DeSantis announced plans to pursue a constitutional amendment designed to provide stronger protections against the escalating taxes by 2026.
“Of all the taxes that are impacting Floridians right now, property taxes are the most significant,” DeSantis stated, emphasizing that skyrocketing home values have driven up tax assessments, leaving many struggling to keep up.
The Governor noted that while increasing property values have generated wealth for some, they have also pushed many homeowners—particularly elderly residents on fixed incomes—into financial distress. He highlighted cases of homeowners who originally purchased properties for $250,000, only to see their values surge past $1 million, resulting in significantly higher tax burdens.
Despite existing homestead exemptions, DeSantis argued that property tax bills remain too high, disproportionately affecting long-term residents. To address this, he proposed a shift in tax relief focus from broad-based sales tax reductions to targeted property tax cuts. The Florida House of Representatives has already suggested allocating $5 billion toward tax relief, including a potential three-quarter-cent reduction in the state sales tax. However, DeSantis contends that prioritizing tax relief would provide more meaningful benefits to Florida residents rather than out-of-state visitors.
“And if we do that, we would end up with about $1,000 in property tax cuts for every homesteaded Floridian,” DeSantis explained.
The Governor also called for increased transparency in local government budgets, noting that rising property tax revenues have led some counties to significantly expand spending. He stressed that reducing property taxes should not come at the expense of essential services such as law enforcement and education.
According to Waypointe Group with eXp Realty, Oviedo’s top-rated real estate team, these are the top five counties with the highest property taxes in Florida: St. Lucie, Alachua, Broward, Duval, and Pinellas.
DeSantis hopes to bring the proposed amendment to voters by 2026, underscoring his administration’s commitment to alleviating the financial strain on Florida homeowners. The initiative is expected to spark debate among legislators and local officials as discussions around tax policy intensify in the coming months.
