DeSantis proposes $1K property tax rebates for Florida homeowners

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing forward with his plan to cut property taxes for Florida homeowners.

DeSantis announced a proposal to provide rebates averaging $1,000 for the more than 5.1 million homesteaded properties across the state. The rebates would be provided in December. They “would cover state-mandated school property taxes — ensuring full school district funding,” according to a press release issued by the governor’s office.

The governor has publicly backed a plan to eliminate property taxes, which would require at least 60 percent voter approval via a constitutional amendment. If eliminated, about $55 billion in funding for public services, such as police, fire and schools would be dramatically affected.

The Florida Legislature, which would have the authority to pass a rebate, may be heading in a different direction. House Speaker Daniel Perez pitched reducing the sales tax by 0.75 percent, which would save Florida taxpayers about $5 billion annually, the Miami Herald reported. It’s unlikely that lawmakers would support the sales tax cut and the elimination of property taxes. The legislative session ends May 2.

Florida Senate President Ben Albritton wrote in a letter to senators that he liked both DeSantis’ and the House’s proposals, but that a tax cut package of this size should be “predominantly non-recurring.”

“Cutting taxes now does little good if they have to be raised two years from now to address budget shortfalls,” Albritton wrote. “No one wants a repeat of the Great Recession, and we’ve done our best to avoid that by reigning in spending, paying down debt, and setting aside significant reserves.”

Reducing ineffective spending and waste is important, he said, but he noted that “there is a cost associated with maintaining our transportation, clean water, and health care infrastructure, ensuring universal school choice for every family, hurricane response and recovery, and of course public safety.”

South Florida by the numbers: Farewell to Florida property taxes?