A.G. Gancarski
The man who could be the next Governor wants to put the brakes on a policy proposal of the incumbent.
During an appearance on Florida’s Voice Radio, Rep. Byron Donalds diagnosed potential problems with Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ stated desire to let voters decide on eliminating property taxes.
“I would love to get rid of property taxes, but I think that we have a lot of counties in the state that do not have the tourism base that Miami or Naples or Fort Myers or Palm Beach County or Orlando have. And so in these rural counties and these northern counties in the state of Florida, what does a proposal like that do to these counties?”
DeSantis would like a ballot initiative during next year’s General Election to eliminate property taxes altogether. He argues that local budgets have ballooned in recent years and that increased property taxes, which burden homeowners of modest means, have helped that happen. He believes the burden can be shifted to foreigners and tourists. Yet he also says that rural counties without tourism might have a different property tax scheme than places in South Florida to where visitors flock.
Donalds, meanwhile, has praise for the House Select Committee on Property Taxes, a 37-person panel that will take a methodical and bipartisan look at the future of the funding source, urging policy makers to be “thoughtful about this going forward because it really does impact the state financially, not just today, but where it’s going to go into the future and there’s a lot of stuff that has to get done.”
“I’m glad the Legislature, I think they’re on the way to studying property taxes. Let’s see what kind of adjustments we can make,” Donalds said, describing a “big conversation” ahead.
“I think what they’re going to end up doing is studying the property tax proposal overall. Yeah. Whether they’re completely get rid of it, get rid of it for homesteaded property, or even do reductions for homesteaded property in Florida,” he said, urging policymakers to be “mindful” and “clear eyed.”
14 comments
SuzyQ
May 3, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Byron Donalds is a RINO like the Florida House Speaker. Casey’ 26!
Ocean Joe
May 3, 2025 at 12:35 pm
You mean Trump, America’s savior, the guy who invented the term RINO has endorsed…..a RINO?
Hung Wiil
May 3, 2025 at 9:42 pm
SuzyQ,
Wrong. Casey and Ron are done after 2026, and Byron Donalds is the next Governor of Florida. Instead, Governor-elect Donalds, even before one vote has been cast, should make a better proposal than the DeSantis idea.
Don’t leave it to the hapless legislature. Instead, have a system of commercial property taxes, but homesteaded properties are exempt from property taxes after the mortgage is satisfied. Next, add an additional $25,000 homestead exemption, and require a supermajority vote of any board or plebiscite to raise local property taxes.
SuzyQ
May 5, 2025 at 8:36 am
Casey, if she decides to become a gubernatorial candidate, will win easily in a landslide.
Tax Exenpt
May 6, 2025 at 10:28 am
NO! Do not wait until a mortgage is satisfied? Why? The mortgage is a major expense and all the more reason to exempt ALL homesteaded properties of full time residents from property taxes. Let the tourists pay. And a simple adjustment for rural counties – provide more state relief based on the millage rate. A simple equation that can be adjusted as counties grow.
I want to pay the bank off and then OWN MY HOME OUTRIGHT.
Who the hell is the government to own part of my home?
R Russell
May 3, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Who died and made “the Showboat, POS, Publicity Hound” spokesman for Florida’s tax payers!
Ocean Joe
May 3, 2025 at 7:01 pm
You calling Trump’s choice for governor a POS?
SuzyQ
May 5, 2025 at 8:35 am
Yes, I, for one, contend Byron is a RINO who will never be elected Governor of Florida; and he is not be the first RINO endorsed by Trump who goes on to lose.
Hung Wiil
May 3, 2025 at 9:43 pm
Let me have some curly fries with my Jamocha shake.
Trish
May 4, 2025 at 1:19 pm
I believe leave taxes on buisness property’s aswell as property’s that still have a mortgage payment .Just keep the property tax fare. Have a forgivness program for our seniors. And reward the folk that have payd off their motgage and that own the deed by no longer having the tax. And the feeling of freedom.
Tax Exenpt
May 6, 2025 at 10:31 am
Why tax folks who are paying a mortgage. What on earth? Why would you discriminate against someone with a mortgage – they need the tax break as much if not more than those who have paid it off?
What on earth are you thinking???
MH/Duuuval
May 4, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Why should folks still shouldering a mortgage not get the same break, especially seniors?
SuzyQ
May 5, 2025 at 8:40 am
This may be the first time I’ve ever agreed with you. On this, you’re “right” and reasonable.
Ocean Joe
May 5, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Many commercial properties contain small mom and pop businesses. They create jobs, they get no annual protections as do homestead properties with the 3% hike limit per year. If you’re going to try to help property owners be fair about it. And stop government waste, fraud and abuse, eg 50 cops to Texas, migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard, or $10M siphoned away from medicaid to battle marijuana, or 20% raises for certain favored state employees, or lawsuits over woke nonsense.
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