Ron DeSantis rips ‘far left’ House property tax panel as ‘dog and pony show’

One Democrat is one too many.

That’s the argument of Florida’s Governor, who is speaking out about a 37-person House committee designed to look at property tax reform, which DeSantis says is “including some of the most left-wing Democrats in the state of Florida.”

“If you have a legislative body that is creating a 37-member committee, they’re not doing that because they want to give you property tax relief. They’re doing that to try to kill property tax relief,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in Miami.

“This is a total dog and pony show. This is not anything that is credible.”

DeSantis took House Speaker Daniel Perez to task for rolling out the committee on the “last day of Session.” DeSantis also thinks the size of the committee means it will be ineffectual.

“I don’t think anybody is fooled when they start to see those types of things. If I wanted something done, I’d do it. I don’t put a committee of 37 people together, where they’re not going to be able to agree on anything.”

Perez, for his part, said DeSantis’ proposal to end property taxes was “exciting and provocative,” but dinged the Governor for never releasing specific bill language to tackle the issue.

Democratic Reps. Jervonte Edmonds, Anna Eskamani, Gallop Franklin, Mike Gottlieb, Dianne Hart, Christine Hunschofsky, Michele Rayner, Allison Tant, Debra Tendrich and Marie Woodson are also on the panel.

The committee is roughly 1/4 Democratic, a deal-breaker for the Governor.

“I have no interest in trying to throw a lifeline to the far left. Floridians have rejected the far left. That’s not what they want,” DeSantis said.

Perez said last week the committee will meet through the Spring, Summer and Fall and will look at five proposals the House Speaker said will be a “springboard” for the discussion.

The proposals are:

— Requiring every city, county and special district to hold a referendum on the elimination of property taxes, to drive an “honest conversation” about services.

— A $500,000 homestead property exemption for non-school property taxes, with an increase to $1 million for senior citizens and those with a Florida homestead for at least three decades.

— Allowing the Legislature to raise homestead exemption by statute as a workaround for referendums.

— Changing the homestead exemption cap from 3% a year to 3% every three years, and reducing the non-homestead level from 10% annually to 15% every three years could, Perez said, provide stability in tax payments and slow local governmental growth.

— Banning government from foreclosing for unpaid taxes.