Governor Ron DeSantis has been pushing aggressively for major property tax relief in Florida, including the potential full elimination of property taxes on homesteaded (primary) residences for homeowners.
This would require a constitutional amendment, which he aims to place on the November 2026 ballot for voter approval (needing 60% support).
As of today, no such elimination has been enacted—it’s still in proposal stages, with DeSantis criticizing legislative alternatives and vetoing studies that might complicate the push.
In the meantime, he’s proposed one-time rebates (e.g., averaging $1,000 per homestead) and targeted relief for rural counties, where the state could subsidize local services to offset lost revenue.
Importantly, property taxes are not a major revenue source for the Florida state government—they’re primarily collected and used by local entities (counties, cities, school districts) to fund services like schools, police, fire departments, and infrastructure.
The state collects only a tiny share (about 2-3% of its budget) from property taxes via shared revenues or assessments on certain properties.
Eliminating them statewide would mainly hit local budgets, not the state’s core revenue streams.
DeSantis has argued locals can offset losses through efficiency audits (via his “DOGE” task force on government waste), shifting to tourist-targeted taxes, or state subsidies in low-population areas.
How the State Would Adapt Without Property Taxes
DeSantis hasn’t proposed major changes to state-level revenue streams, as property taxes aren’t central to them. The focus is on locals replacing ~$43 billion in annual property tax collections (per capita: ~$2,015). His plan emphasizes:
- Spending Cuts & Efficiency: Audits via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to trim “bloated” local budgets back to pre-COVID levels, targeting waste without service cuts.
- Shift to Tourists/Non-Residents: Increase transient taxes (e.g., hotel rentals, already ~6% state + local), impact fees on developers, or foreign investor levies. Florida’s tourism economy could absorb this without hitting homeowners.
- State Subsidies for Vulnerable Areas: ~$300 million/year for rural counties to fund essentials (e.g., police/fire), called “budget dust” in the $115B budget.
- No Sales Tax Hike: DeSantis opposes this (it’d burden residents/tourists equally), unlike some past proposals. Instead, permanent cuts like eliminating business rent tax (~$830M relief in 2025 budget).
- Economic Growth Offset: Florida’s no-income-tax model attracts residents/businesses, boosting sales/corporate taxes organically (e.g., population up 2% yearly).
Critics (e.g., Florida Policy Institute) warn elimination could weaken local services, force regressive sales tax reliance (already the nation’s most burdensome for low-income households), or require borrowing.
Supporters say it promotes homeownership and efficiency.
If passed in 2026, implementation would phase in, with rebates bridging the gap.
For the latest, check flsenate.gov or flgov.com, as 2026 ballot details evolve.
I don’t believe a Constitutional Amendment is necessary unless taxation is in the Florida or any State Constitution. All States have been unconstitutionally taxing citizens since the late 1800s: ever since the 1871 Organic Act which created a corporation to govern the “seat of the district of federal government”, changed everything. It was the theft of the “diamonds” in my opinion.
Do we have Land Grants as the feudal monarchies of Europe which could be summarily removed? Or, did our Founders learn, as we are told, and provide Land Patents which could not be retaken by governments nor taxed?
Were those Patents hidden or destroyed after 1871 like the Census Records?
These questions need to be answered for the security of the Republic and our posterity.
D.C. has been repatriated as of the summer of 2025 when the flagpoles were “planted” on D.C. soil and two Old Glories flown there! Every unconstitutional travesty must be reversed! Fraud vitiates everything! Marbury v. Madison