Florida GOP wants local governments to stick to rollback rates for property taxes

The Legislature won’t pursue immediate property tax relief, but the Republican Party of Florida says local governments can act.

The state party has launched its Rollback Now campaign, which will urge county and municipal governments across Florida to reduce property tax rates. Evan Power, the Florida GOP Chair, said the effort responds to demands the party heard straight from voters.

“Property tax is a very important issue to voters. We’re hearing it on the ground,” he said. “This is a way for us to give people real savings this year by holding that line on rolling back the tax rate, give them savings this year while the Legislature and the Governor work out a long-term plan.”

While Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for rebates on property taxes statewide, legislative leaders ultimately said it would be more appropriate to put reduction or elimination of property taxes on the 2026 statewide ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment.

Power notes that even if something passed, property owners would not see relief from such a measure until 2027. But local government officials, he said, can reduce what people pay in the next fiscal year.

A rollback rate, advertised on property tax notices across the state, is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of revenue to a taxing authority as the prior year, excluding any new construction.

“If you look at any of these county budgets over the last five years, they’ve had a windfall of money. This is a good policy, because anything above the rollback rate under Florida law is a tax increase,” Power said.

“After having taken in all this additional money over the last couple of years, I think it’s the right time for government to hold the line on new spending and give people a chance to experience some savings here and settle in for a long-term plan. In Gadsden County, for example, their budgets increased by $9 million over the last five years, and that’s just, like, a 60% increase of their total revenue. That’s just not sustainable.”

The party is gathering names on an online petition supporting rollback rates now. But as the local government budget season rolls around, party members will lobby officials.

“We’re asking our local county parties to hold their elected officials accountable, and we’re going to have some phone banking, have them go to meetings,” Power said. “We’re going to try to inspire our county leadership across the state, to hold each county accountable to going back to the rollback rate.”

That sometimes will mean pressuring Republican officials. Does that mean the party could end up putting pressure on incumbent GOP office-holders as they seek re-election?

“I think that that’s an important part on getting re-elected,” Power said. “What I’m hearing from voters right now is that they want relief on property taxes as their No. 1 issue. I think these two things dovetail together. Yes, they should go to the rollback rate, and it will, in fact, help them get re-elected.”