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Legislature Approves Placing Homestead Property Tax Amendment On November Ballot
June 3, 2026
Both the House and Senate on Tuesday approved putting lower homestead property taxes on the November ballot, potentially keeping money in residents’ pockets while causing chaos with local budgets.
The measure, a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, passed the House 75-26 and moved through the Senate on a 30-9 vote. Rep. Michelle Salzman, Rep. Alex Andrade and Sen. Don Gaetz all voted in favor.
If 60% of voters approve in November, the constitutional amendment will raise the homestead exemption from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with future increases tied to the Consumer Price Index.
RELATED: Escambia County Braces For $94 Million Revenue Loss If Homestead Amendment Passes
The exception for school taxes won’t be included and will remain at $25,000.
New Florida residents won’t qualify for anything more than the $50,000 exemption until they have lived in their home for five years. For non-homestead properties, future value assessments will be capped at 5% per year instead of the current 10%.
Governments will be limited in how they can spend their remaining property tax revenue, restricting it to public safety, infrastructure, schools, debt service, pensions, county constitutional officers (like Elections Supervisors, Clerks of Court, and Property Appraisers), and essential local government operations or administrative costs.
RELATED: Century Stands To Lose About $10K A Year If Property Taxes Are Cut
Comments
17 Responses to “Legislature Approves Placing Homestead Property Tax Amendment On November Ballot”
The Florida state constitution expressly prohibits the levying of a personal income tax. This restriction is established in Article VII, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution, which prevents the state from collecting individual income taxes on wages, salaries, and investment income.
Yeah, I will vote. Against it.
Too many restrictions, caveats, lures. Total smoke screen to cover up for increased fees and, down the road, increased sales taxes.
Notice how constitutional officers are exempt from the cuts. Protecting their fellow elected officials high salaries and elected officials pensions.
We’ll see if it can reach 60%. I have my doubts once people think about this.
Home owners shouldn’t lose their home because they can’t pay the taxes. Taxes should have been based on the cost of the home not new appraisals. They will have money for fire ..police..an schools. No problem taxing people…but don’t like giving it up.
When Cities and Counties refuse to live within their means….
Be careful what you ask for because you just may get it, the old saying goes. Be prepared to pay higher taxes.
@Mike Spinks. Property tax funds local government. The state of Florida runs a surplus budget, and state income taxes fund just that – state budgets. There is no need for Florida to implement a state income tax. However, you may expect to see county and municipal governments implement increased local option sales taxes, or less likely, endeavor toward responsible fiscal spending.
Don’t worry Derek.
If there’s 2 things this won’t affect it’s the Library and ECAT money pits.
Get out there and vote, vote, vote . Stop waste , abuse and misused of tax payers money . Longways to go and a huge opposition by some politicians , if it passes their piggy bank is gone . So did I said it VOTE .
Steven L. You are spot on in your remarks. I have 2 suggestions 1.) all commissioners that file a frivolous lawsuit should have to put up their own money instead of using taxpayers monies[ over 15 million taxpayers dollars were loss in the last 2/3 years because of lost legal decisions. 2.) IMPACT FEES need to be implemented .[ 45 out of 67 countries already have these] to help with smart growth and infrastructure needs.
These fees would be collected only once from the developers/builders to defray the costs of infrastructure needs that go along with adding new subdivisions.
School board administrator was put on ballot1. Be elected by the voters or 2. Be appointed. Appointed won and now it was a failure and again want to put that back on the ballot to see if voters change their minds.
Go ahead a vote for no property taxes. Sales tax will need to go up. Services like Fire departments and Ambulances will have to be paid possibly by a state tax in the future.
This will not be the win you think it’s going to be.
have an Idea, Create an Escambia CO. DOGE and evaluate the Budget waste.
Oh then we would have to cut something? NO can’t do that.
Our County has operated the same way for the Last 100 years – increase the budget every year, when blow-joe public has gone years without a raise. .he finally gets a 5% raise, what do the local governments water/garbage takes 2%, school takes 2% County takes 2%, joe Publics in the hole -1%.
Daddy always said ya have to live within your means.
Has anyone else noticed the CO population has grown significantly, while P;cola has actually decreased. I think we need to get a petition to MOVE the county government out of Pensacola to the center of the County. where the real majority of it’s Constituents are. since there is no down town parking available.
Break up the good-old boys club. WE NEED A OLD FASHION TEA PARTY!.
The county has no money BUT can give one thousand of our tax dollars to a softball team. Then we find they all had this slush fund. Now they will use scare tactics, saying they will close parks and libraries. Millions of new tax dollars in the last five years and the county spent every dollar of it!
Lowering taxes may sound good to some people but it appears to me that all of this leading to the people of Florida paying state income taxes. To me that would be worst than lowering or doing away with property taxes.
Now they need to do something so they school board can not increase taxes.
While I’m all for the reduction of property taxes, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this will create a massive windfall for most homeowners. Consider; school taxes (which make up 40% of our property taxes) won’t be affected, according to this article. The powers that be will continue to allow property development without impact fees to offset increases in infrastructure demand.
I know it’s wishful thinking, but we need leadership that’ll pursue controlled growth and long-term solutions, such as attracting career-sustaining employers.
That is a good reason to get out and VOTE !
It’s about time someone actually could own there home.
The school board shouldn’t need to brace for anything.
.Home owners shouldn’t be the only one to foot the bill.
There are tons of new apartments being thrown up all
Over Pensacola..Between the property taxes & Higher
Homeowners insurance my mortgage payment has doubled
In the past 5 years…make the county commissioners take a pay cut
They are actually the ones who aren’t doing there overpaid jobs!!!