Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday in St. Augustine that Florida voters will eventually get the chance to decide whether to abolish property taxes.
Speaking about his proposal to nix the expense at a press conference, DeSantis said the issue slowly gained traction after he began publicly pushing for it.
“A year ago, nobody was talking about property tax … the elected officials weren’t until we started talking about it,” he said, arguing homeowners need relief from increasingly burdensome costs across the board.
He pointed to rising inflation and higher grocery prices nationwide, saying taxation is one area government directly controls.
DeSantis said lawmakers are working toward placing a measure on the ballot. “You guys are going to be able to go to the polls and be able to vote something that’s really, really meaningful,” he said.
He described the potential change as “historic” and said his administration is conducting analyses to show the numbers work.
DeSantis noted that property tax collections for local governments have increased from $32 billion in 2019, when he took office, to $60 billion.
“That’s more than how much that revenue should be growing,” he said, citing inflation and population growth but arguing the increase exceeds both.
DeSantis has said that budget surpluses will help offset the loss of property tax revenues, but critics question the plan’s long-term viability without tax hikes in other areas.
The governor said he wants relief focused on primary Florida residents, not second homes or short-term rental properties.
He also said his proposed budget would backfill revenue for 32 rural counties to offset losses.
“Your home is your castle,” questioning whether homeowners truly own their property if they must keep paying taxes on it.
