Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Pushes Plan to Eliminate Property Taxes for Most Homeowners

Governor Ron DeSantis announced a special legislative session to consider a constitutional amendment that would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 and eventually to $500,000, aiming to eliminate property taxes for up to 92 % of Florida homeowners. The proposal would require approval by a three‑fifths majority in both legislative chambers and a 60 % voter majority in November. Any remaining property‑tax revenue would be restricted to core public services such as schools, public safety, infrastructure and natural disaster response, and a state trust fund would be created to offset local‑government losses.

Democratic leaders warned the plan could devastate county budgets that rely on property taxes for education, police and fire services. Senate Joint Resolution 2F, introduced by Sen. Bryan Avila, modifies the governor’s outline, setting the exemption at $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, without a firm commitment to a $500,000 cap, and caps assessment increases for non‑homestead properties at 5‑10 %.

UBS analysts flagged a discrepancy between DeSantis’s estimates and state data: about 47 % of homesteads qualify at the $250,000 level and 75‑80 % at $500,000, far short of the governor’s cited figures. Critics argue the plan lacks a clear mechanism to fully fund local services after the tax cuts.