Florida House Asks Voters to Consider Cut Most Homes’ Property Taxes

Florida’s House of Representatives late Thursday voted to ask voters to end non-school property taxes on most owner-occupied homes, a move that could save some homeowners a few thousand dollars a year but, by some estimates, could cost local governments billions in revenue.

The chances that the plan will make it through the Senate are far from certain, despite calls from Gov. Ron DeSantis to end most property taxes in the state.

House Joint Resolution 203, offered by state Rep. Monique Miller, R-Palm Bay, and Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-DeLand, as passed by the House, would set up a statewide vote in November on a constitutional amendment. The amendment, if approved by 60% of voters, would carve out a protection for first responder and public safety departments by barring cities and counties from reducing funding below 2025 levels.

But all other local government functions and services could be subject to cuts, some House Democrats said in denouncing the plan. Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston said it would bankrupt cities and counties, the Orlando Sentinel reported. One report estimated that the tax elimination would cost the state, including local governments, as much as $18 billion a year, the news site noted.

If passed, the amendment would take effect in 2027. It’s possible that freed-up tax spending could be used by some of the 5 million Florida homesteaders to take on property upgrades or wind mitigation—and to add higher policy limits on their homeowners’ insurance. But it could also force some local governments to drop or reduce their own liability insurance coverage.

Florida has historically ranked as having property tax rates in the middle of the pack for U.S. states, despite not imposing a personal income tax on residents. The state in 2025 taxed owner-occupied homes at a rate of about 0.74% of the value of the home, according to the Tax Foundation, a research group.

That’s comparable to Georgia’s rate, but about double that seen in Alabama, South Carolina and West Virginia. It’s well below the highest-ranked states of Illinois and New Jersey, which have property tax rates of about 1.77% of a home’s value, the Foundation noted.

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Florida
Property