The Florida Legislature held a special session the week of June 1 and approved a ballot amendment to reduce property taxes on all homesteaded properties.
You can read the approved property tax legislation here: HJR 1-F
To help citizens understand legislation approved by the 2026 legislature, Beaches Watch hosted a meeting on June 3 with the three beaches City Managers. The City Managers provided a presentation about 2026 legislation that was approved that will impact our beaches communities, including the property tax amendment.
You can learn more about the approved legislation and property tax amendment in the June 3 meeting presentation: June 3 Meeting Presentation
You can also watch the meeting video below.
Meeting video timestamps:
- 2026 Legislation that will impact our beaches (begins at 6:00)
- Property Tax Amendment explanation (begins at 13:00)
CITY BUDGETS 101
In February, Beaches Watch hosted a special meeting with the three beaches City Managers. This meeting provided an excellent presentation about City budgets, how much cities receive from property taxes and how the money is used.
You can see the meeting presentation here: City Budgets 101 Presentation
Learn more by watching the meeting here:
MORE RESOURCES ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX AMENDMENT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT
Various organizations throughout Florida have provided information about the proposed property tax amendment on the November ballot. You can learn more about the amendment from these organizations.
Florida Policy Institute:
https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/florida-property-tax-amendment-ballot-language-summary
Florida League of Cities:
https://www.flcities.com/floridaformula
Florida Association of Counties:
Why Property Taxes Are Essential
- Property taxes fund the services that keep communities safe and functional. Property taxes fund core public safety and infrastructure, including police, fire, emergency response, and roads. These services make communities safe, insurable, and economically viable.
- Florida is already a national leader in taxpayer value. Florida consistently ranks among the best states for taxpayer return on investment, meaning residents receive strong public services for the taxes they pay. Local governments deliver disciplined, efficient spending even as costs rise, which is why Florida’s effective property tax rate is roughly half that of Texas. This balance of affordability and service is a competitive advantage worth protecting.
- Property taxes provide stable and predictable revenue, particularly during economic downturns when sales taxes and tourism-related revenues are volatile.
- Florida’s property tax system was designed by voters, not politicians. Florida voters already approved caps for annual homestead assessment increases at 3%, protecting full-time homeowners from sudden tax spikes even when market values soar. That’s not a loophole; it’s a voter-approved safeguard.
- Cities are partners in the state’s prosperity. Cities are committed to fiscal discipline, local accountability, and keeping Florida an affordable and secure place to live.
What’s at Stake
- This proposal is a tax shift, not a tax cut. Eliminating property taxes doesn’t eliminate the cost of government — it shifts the burden onto renters and small businesses through higher fees, new taxes, or reduced services.
- Smaller communities face the steepest impact. An independent property tax study, modeling a $250,000 homestead exemption, found that some cities could see their tax base reduced so significantly that maintaining current levels of essential services would be at risk — with smaller communities facing the steepest impact.
- Many Florida cities would have to dedicate nearly all remaining property tax revenue to public safety and still face funding shortfalls.
- Eliminating property taxes without a sustainable replacement threatens the services residents depend on every day. Experts estimate it would blow a $43 billion hole in local budgets. To replace that revenue, Florida would need to double the state sales tax to 12% — the highest in the nation.
- Local governments have made long-term commitments and issued bonds for critical infrastructure projects. Those obligations remain regardless of changes to the tax structure.
- The proposal shifts financial decision-making from locally elected officials to Tallahassee, reducing local control and forcing cities to compete with each other for state funds. Florida voters have demonstrated their trust in local decisions, approving 89% of local tax referenda in the 2023-24 cycle.
- There is no guarantee that this newly created trust fund will not be swept like other trust funds have been throughout Florida’s history.