Scott Powers
Florida’s senior citizens who’ve owned a homestead exemption property for at least 25 years would be shielded from rising school taxes due to increasing property value, under a proposed Florida Constitution amendment proposed Monday by state Sen. Manny Diaz.
Diaz, a Republican from Hialeah Gardens, introduced Senate Joint Resolution 282. It proposes putting the question on the 2020 statewide ballot as a constitutional amendment proposal. His Senate Bill 284, also filed Monday, lays out the process that property owners could follow to earn the protection.
The measures propose the protection for Floridians who are at least 65 years old, who have homestead exemptions, and who have owned the home and lived there for at least 25 years.
The proposal is aimed to shield them from automatic tax increases due to increasing property values, specifically those taxes levied by school districts. While the measure would protect seniors, it would be another blow to school districts’ budgets based on increasing state expansions of homestead exemption benefits.
Diaz was not available to comment on the proposal.
The assessed value of the home would be locked in at the value assessed in the subsequent year to the application.
SB 284 also includes a provision that if someone is found to not have qualified during any of the previous ten years, the county property appraiser can come down on the owner for past taxes and fines, with a potential lien. The bill would require appraisers to serve a notice of intent to record tax liens, provides exepctions from penalties and interest, and providing specific time frames for the homeowner to pay up before a lien is filed.
4 comments
DisplacedCTYankee
September 17, 2019 at 8:56 am
Some “seniors” can easily afford to pay more in property tax; some cannot. There must be a better way. I retired here from Connecticut, which has sky-high property taxes but it also has among the best public schools in the country. Maybe it’s time for an income tax here.
Helen Jo Williams
September 18, 2019 at 11:32 am
I am almost 86 years old. I believe that old people should continue to contribute their share in sustaining our educational system until they die. Helen Jo Williams
Pedro
September 19, 2019 at 7:36 pm
As a senior I would rather there are educated kids in the world than non-educated ones. Our grandfathers paid taxes for us to go to school, why shouldn’t we continue to pay taxes for our grandchildren’s educations? We need to can state senator Diaz’s not so bright idea!
Pedro
September 19, 2019 at 7:42 pm
In fact much better legislation for us seniors would be better protection from unscrupulous lenders, contractors, telemarketers and politicians.
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