Leon lawmakers heard concerns about the ongoing talks about changing property taxes in Florida from local elected officials at their county delegation meeting Monday.
The House has come up with eight different proposals to reduce property taxes after calls to do so from Governor Ron DeSantis and other lawmakers. The proposals mostly target homesteaded property, either expanding exemptions or eliminating taxes on those properties entirely.
Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey told the legislators that could have drastic impacts on the city’s budget if it is not made up for in other ways.
“How will that impact us? It will wipe out Parks and Recreation, which has a smaller budget than the police department budget. It will wipe out neighborhood affairs. So, as we move forward, like my partners that have testified before, any way that we can serve as a resource to the legislature, will be more than happy to,” he said.
Right now, the revenue from Tallahassee’s property taxes goes to fund the police budget, but the proposals on the table stipulate law enforcement funds can’t be cut. So, officials say funding in other areas would likely have to be reduced, or other fees would need to be raised.
Doris Malloy, the Leon County Tax Collector, said during the meeting that making up that revenue through other means could be difficult.
“If it was an easy fix, there would be a solution on the table,” she said.
She says in Leon County, tax money is well spent.
“Customers, if they come into my office when they have to pay. And it's always ‘why are we paying these high taxes?’ And I always emphasize to them, look at the roads that you enjoy, look at the law enforcement, look at the school system and so forth. And when you go to other states, you actually see and feel the difference when those things don't happen and you don't get the funding for that,” she said.
Senator Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, said after the meeting that he supports property tax relief.
“I am one of those folks that at some point in time I want to own my own home. When I pay off that house, just like everybody else that pays off their home, we still don't own it and that, I think that's problematic and so, but I think the other side of that is we need to really take a hard look at it, and I think we're doing that how we're spending taxpayer dollars and move forward,” he said.
The legislature’s move to cut property taxes follows calls from Governor Ron DeSantis, though he’s been critical of the House proposals. The Senate has not yet put forward any plans for property tax reductions. There is still uncertainty about what plan for property taxes will pick up steam. Even if the legislature approves a proposal, it would still need over 60% support on the 2026 ballot.
