JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At a roundtable Friday morning at a restaurant on Jacksonville’s Westside, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the No. 1 tax issue he hears from Floridians is a need for property tax relief.
DeSantis has proposed providing one-time, $1,000 property-tax rebates this year to homeowners as a prelude to asking voters in 2026 to cut property taxes.
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“The homestead (exemption) is great, but the homestead is limited in terms of how much benefits you get, and so your property goes up three times, you’re paying more, no question about it,” DeSantis said. “So how does it work where you’re having to pay $10,000 a year just in property taxes?”
Florida’s Homestead Exemption removes $25,000 off the assessed value of an owner-occupied home, condominium, co-op apartment or certain mobile home lots. It also provides up to another $25,000 of additional exemption off any assessed value over $50,000.
While that relief helps, DeSantis said, it’s not enough for many in the current real estate climate.
“You’re paying tax, you’re paying insurance, and then principal and interest is less than those two combined. And so this is difficult for people,” DeSantis said. “You should not be in a situation where you ever have to give up your home because you can’t afford the taxes.”
DeSantis argued that homes should function the same as other purchases, with a tax at the point of sale and no continued payments to the government after.
“You should own your property free and clear,” DeSantis said. “I think to say that someone that’s been in their house for 35 years has to keep owing the government money, you know…you don’t own your home, if that’s the case.”
DeSantis described buying a flat screen TV, and then having to continue making tax payments on it.
“That’s not how we do things,” he said. “It’s like, OK, if you’re going to tax something, tax it at the transaction, and then let people actually enjoy their private property, free and clear of the government. So that, I think, is the vision. That’s the philosophical insight.”
Janelle Flynn is a Jacksonville homeowner. She said any kind of relief would be helpful for seniors like her.
“I’m very proud of being a homeowner here in Jacksonville, but with the income that I do have coming in and all these taxes that are presented to me, it’s very hard to maintain a lifestyle that you would like to lead,” Flynn said.
House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said he considers that vision “exciting,” but said the governor hadn’t provided specifics about how it will be accomplished, while questions have swirled about the potential effects of such a move on the ability of local governments to pay for police, fire-rescue, infrastructure and other services.
“The governor’s team would like to respond that they do have a plan: send $1,000 checks from the state treasury as a fake refund for local property taxes. In fairness, it is consistent with the governor’s record,” Perez said in a statement. “He likes these (California Gov. Gavin) Newsome-style ‘free’ money giveaways. Giving away $1,000 checks in a way that doesn’t actually lower property taxes isn’t a Band-Aid, much less a solution.”
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