What it is: A property tax reduction of up to $51,411 on your primary residence
Who qualifies: Florida homeowners living in their property as of January 1st.
Florida Homestead Exemption reduces a property’s taxable value by up to $51,411 for homeowners who own and occupy their primary residence as of January 1st. Whether you live in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, or anywhere else in Florida, this saves qualifying homeowners $500-2,000+ annually in property taxes.
Sounds good, right? However…
The Florida League of Cities, an advocacy group, is concerned about Governor DeSantis’ and the Florida Legislature’s move to eliminate property tax for full-time Florida residents through a series of moves that could cause some municipalities to collapse financially.
Here’s their position on the initiative that will be put before Florida taxpayers on the November ballot.
WHERE THINGS STAND
During the June 1–2 special session, the Florida Legislature passed a proposed constitutional amendment (CS/HJR 1-F) to be placed on the November 2026 general election ballot.
Constitutional amendments require 60% voter approval to pass. If approved, some key impacts would include:
▸ Increasing the homestead property tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000, beginning January 1, 2027
▸ Further increasing the exemption to $250,000, beginning January 1, 2028
▸ Directing the Legislature to pass a future law — with no deadline specified — giving counties and cities authority to increase the homestead exemption further, up to full elimination
THE LEAGUE’S POSITION
The Florida League of Cities opposes this proposed amendment.
If passed by the voters, this amendment would dismantle how Florida’s cities fund the essential services residents depend on every day — police, fire, emergency response, roads, and infrastructure.
The Legislature passed this proposal without a review by the Revenue Estimating Conference — the body responsible for evaluating the fiscal impact of legislation like this.
Based on our initial analysis, the $250,000 homestead exemption will reduce funding for municipal services by approximately $2 Billion.
Yet the amendment provides no new state funding or plan for replacing the revenue that will disappear from local city budgets.
It’s not just about property taxes. It would fundamentally change how local government services are provided and financed.
Eliminating homestead property taxes will not eliminate the costs of local government. It will shift the burden onto all Floridians — through higher fees, new taxes, or reduced services — with renters and businesses bearing the greatest impact.
