Florida’s House of Representatives approved a resolution ending non-school property taxes on homestead properties starting on Jan. 1, 2027.
Florida Phoenix reports the resolution would place the proposal on November’s ballot, with voters determining whether to amend the state constitution. The House vote of 80-30 was split along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it.
However, the resolution can only get on the ballot if it is approved by a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate – and Republican Sen. Ed Hooper, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated his chamber will present a rival resolution that “won’t be as generous.”
“We will come out with a proposal,” Hooper stated. “Whatever we send to the voters has to be agreed upon, totally, and that may be where the difficulty begins.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is now in his final year as governor, has advocated for the complete elimination of property taxes, although he has been vague in offering a plan that would substitute another revenue stream. In an X posting, he urged the legislature to quickly come up with a solution to their legislative stalemate.
“Regarding a property tax proposal for the 2026 ballot: we’ve been working with members of the Senate who have been great partners,” DeSantis stated. “Given that it can’t be voted on by the people before November, it’s better to do it right than do it quick!”
House Speaker Daniel Perez questioned if a special session would be required if the property tax issue is not resolved by the scheduled ending date of March 13, however.
“What happens in the days ahead will decide if we will be here another three weeks or another three months,” he added.
