Two Republicans Just Killed Florida’s Most Aggressive Property Tax Plan

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Two Republicans just killed the most aggressive property tax relief plan in Florida history. Not Democrats, not out-of-state lobbyists, but two powerful members of the majority party. And they did it before you ever got the chance to vote on the full plan.

As a Florida real estate insider, I follow Tallahassee legislative moves closely because they hit your monthly mortgage escrow directly. Here is the full story of what was originally on the table, who altered it, the billions in waste discovered in local budgets, and what you need to know before stepping into the voting booth on November 3rd.

What Was Originally Put on the Table

On May 27th, Governor Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session in Tallahassee and introduced a sweeping proposal called "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes." His plan aimed to completely eliminate homestead property taxes for every Florida homeowner.

The proposed roadmap started with an immediate jump in the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000. That initial move alone would have brought 60% of Florida homeowners down to a zero property tax bill. From there, the legislature was directed to build a schedule pushing the exemption to $500,000 (reaching 92% of homeowners) before achieving 100% full elimination forever.

For the typical Florida homeowner, property taxes average around $3,000 per year. If you carry a mortgage, that is approximately $250 a month sitting in lender escrow. Full elimination would mean true homeownership without the fear of losing your home for unpaid tax liens.

The Problem with Alternative Plans

Out of seven bills filed prior to the special session, six left school taxes untouched. Only one bill, introduced by State Representative Ryan Chamberlain, attempted to wipe out all property taxes including school funding. However, Chamberlain's proposal contained a 5% transaction fee at closing along with a 3% sales tax hike. On a $300,000 home purchase, that meant an extra $15,000 fee at closing. The legislature rejected that approach, and the bill never received a committee hearing.

Governor DeSantis wanted school taxes gone without adding transaction fees or sales tax increases. But a fundamental challenge remained: no one had put forward a fully funded, credible replacement mechanism for public school budgets.

Who Took Full Tax Elimination Off the Table?

On June 1st in the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Jay Trumbull (Republican from Panama City and the incoming Senate President) offered the amendment that completely carved school taxes out of the proposal. Trumbull stated he could not support removing billions from public education.

Over in the House, Representative Sam Garrison (Republican from Fleming Island and the incoming House Speaker) led the identical carveout. Garrison argued that school districts lack the flexibility of local governments to charge user fees to offset losses.

While public education funding requires a solid solution, these legislative leaders chose to remove school taxes from the tax relief package entirely. Because school taxes represent 40% to 50% of your total property tax bill, that decision kept half your tax bill intact.

FAFO Exposes $3.7 Billion in Local Spending

Opponents of property tax cuts frequently argue that local government budgets cannot sustain cuts without eliminating essential services like police and fire protection. To evaluate those claims, Governor DeSantis tasked Chief Financial Officer Blaze Ingoglia and the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) with auditing local municipal budgets.

Since July 2025, FAFO audits have identified over $3.7 billion in excessive or non-essential spending across Florida municipalities:

• Broward County: $890,000 allocated toward DEI training line items since 2020.
• Hillsborough County: $572,000 spent on external contracts for employee unconscious bias training.
• Miami-Dade County: $470 million in flagged excessive spending in the 2025-2026 budget year alone.
• Jacksonville: $75,000 spent on a interactive hologram of Mayor Donna Deegan at the airport, alongside $1.9 million in specialized art grants.
• Orange County: In an adopted property tax budget of $1.042 billion, FAFO flagged $300 million in questionable spending. That represents nearly 30 cents of non-essential spending for every property tax dollar collected.

While local county mayors have disputed these audit classifications, the data demonstrates that municipal budgets contain substantial room for fiscal discipline.

What Passed: HJR 1F and Amendment 3

On June 2nd, 2026, the legislature passed HJR 1F (75 to 26 in the House, 30 to 9 in the Senate). This measure will appear on your November 3rd ballot as Amendment 3 and requires a 60% supermajority to pass.

It is important to understand what this measure actually does:

• It increases the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027.
• It increases that non-school exemption to $250,000 in 2028.
• It leaves all school district taxes fully in place.

In the Senate, three Democrats (Mack Bernard, Darryl Rouson, and Barbara Sharief) crossed party lines to vote yes. In the House, two Panhandle Republicans (Senator Nathan Boyles and Senator Pat Maney) joined Democrats in voting no against providing this partial relief.

Meanwhile, the Florida League of Cities (representing over 400 municipalities) has launched its "Florida Formula" campaign to urge voters to reject Amendment 3 in November.

Next Steps for Florida Homeowners

While Amendment 3 is not the full property tax elimination originally proposed, it represents a substantial step toward reducing non-school property tax burdens for Florida residents.

Before voting on November 3rd:

1. Examine how Amendment 3 specifically impacts your individual property tax bill.
2. Review how your local representatives voted on HJR 1F.
3. Share this factual breakdown with neighboring homeowners.

📘 Download the Sunshine State Handbook: https://b2amic-tw.myshopify.com/

If you have questions about buying, selling, or navigating real estate taxes in Central Florida, reach out to Tom McNamara for clear, data-driven real estate guidance.