Florida House advances new proposal to limit increases in property taxes under the Save Our Homes limit
A third House proposal to reduce property taxes is ready to go to the full House, while the Senate has not put forward a plan.
The Republican-dominated House Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday voted 10-4 along party lines to support a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 213) that would limit increases in taxable values for homesteaded property under the Save Our Homes cap to 3% over three years. The Save Our Homes limit is currently 3% a year.
The proposal also would limit increases in taxable values of non-homesteaded property to 15% over three years, rather than the current 10% a year.
"We're not cutting anybody's ability to operate," Rep. Griff Griffitts, a Panama City Beach Republican who is sponsoring the proposal, said. "It's going to require local governments to make hard decisions, to prioritize what they want to spend on. That's something we all do in our households."
Democrats and local-government officials are worried that reduced property-tax revenue could lead to decreased services and shift the tax burden to renters and businesses.
"You can't say that they (local governments) need to figure it out when we are part of the problem," Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, said.
"When we are continuously cutting off the legs of their (local governments) stools, when we are continuously passing unfunded mandates to them, what are they to do?"
The other proposals ready to go to the full House would phase out non-school homestead property taxes over the next decade (HJR 203) and increase the homestead property-tax exemption for residents who have property insurance (HJR 209).
Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a priority of placing a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to lower property taxes.