TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - After two days of their special session, Florida lawmakers passed a sweeping measure to reform property taxes for homesteaded properties across the state. Now it’s up to voters to decide whether it gets implemented.
The bill seeks to increase the tax exemption for the first $150,000 of a homeowner’s primary residence in 2027. That exemption will be increased to $250,000 by 2028.
Both chambers also passed an amendment to the bill to protect school tax revenue from proposed exemptions.
On the ballot in November, voters will be asked a simple question, said Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez.
“Are you in favor or are you against increasing your homestead exemption for homestead properties only to $250,000 over two years. That’s the crux of the question,” he said in an interview with 7News after the bill passed.
But critics say it isn’t that simple and comes at a high cost.
Local property appraisers said the changes could save the average taxpayer several thousand dollars per year, depending on the value of their home, but would slash billions of dollars from local governments across the state.
“Property taxes are an issue. I just want to do it in the way that we’re not going to destroy our local governments and our county governments,” said State Sen. Barbara Sharief, (D) Miramar.
One of those local officials speaking out on the consequences of this bill is Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo.
“People need property tax relief, but this isn’t the plan that gets them there,” said Castillo.
The mayor said he’s wondering how local governments will provide the services people are used to, like public safety, transportation, parks, libraries, even services like mosquito spraying and animal control, officials warn, could be at risk.
“We’re the only unit of government here that absolutely works. Cities. We pick up your garbage. We respond to your police and fire calls. We make sure that water keeps coming out of your faucets. The state doesn’t do any of that. They just sit around and talk about stuff in their ivory tower,” said Castillo.
But supporters in Tallahassee said cities will have to figure it out and that increased property values have brought large amount of money to these local governments over the past seven years.
“Each jurisdiction is going to have to look at their budgets. I mean, they’re going to have to scrutinize their own budgets,” said State Sen. Bryan Avila (R), Miami Gardens.
“I think that there is certainly room for some of that revenue to go back to the pockets of our Floridians,”
Perez said the focus on the possible implications is just politics.
“A year ago, we passed the largest tax cut in the history of the state of Florida, and everyone said that we were no longer going to have services for our veterans, our children, and our seniors. Here we are a year later, and they all still have the same services they had when we passed the largest tax cut in the history of the state of Florida a year ago,” he said.
But opponents in the legislature, however, said this is not the same thing.
“You’re not getting free money. You can’t get something for nothing. What you’re going to have is a cost shift,” said State Rep. Robin Bartleman (D), Weston.
Bartleman points out that the voter-approved Children’s Services Council, which serves tens of thousands of children statewide, could be impacted by these cuts.
“You know, how many working families in Broward County rely on the Children’s Services Council for after care so they can go to work? That all goes away,” she said.
“The monies that cities and counties are not going to have to implement services that we really need. They’re going to come to the state for that money,” said State Sen. Rosalind Osgood (D), Fort Lauderdale.
Former Republican State Sen. Jeff Brandes, who now runs the Florida Policy Project, said if this is implemented, residents will be paying the price in other ways.
“If you want to go to the library, do we charge a user fee now? These taxes are going to show up in their water bill, garbage collection fees, in the franchise fees that they pay. This has not been thought out,” he said.
A state fund that was floated by DeSantis to cover some of the essential needs for local governments was not included in this bill.
Still, Perez said he trusts voters to research and make the right decision.
“We have educated voters and they’re going to have the opportunity to either vote this up or vote this down on their ballot in November,” said Perez.
Over the next few months, ahead of November, residents can expect campaign ads on both sides of the issue, convincing voters on how they should vote.
Voters will have to approve the amendment by 60% in November.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.