Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis renewed his push Monday to dramatically cut property taxes in the Sunshine State, arguing that homeowners deserve relief even as some fellow Republicans warn the plan could leave major funding gaps for essential public services.
Speaking during a roundtable event in Brevard County, DeSantis doubled down on a proposal he has championed for nearly two years: reducing Florida’s property tax burden through a constitutional amendment that could eventually appear on the November ballot.
While the governor still has not released a formal tax proposal, he outlined several ideas he says would put Florida residents first and rein in what conservatives often describe as bloated local government spending.
“[Cutting property taxes] does mean you’re going to have less room for extraneous expenses,” DeSantis told attendees. “But … would you rather have the homestead relief and not have extraneous [services], or would you rather have the extraneous [services] and keep pay intact?”
The governor’s remarks reflected a broader argument increasingly common among fiscal conservatives: that rapidly rising property taxes are pricing many Americans out of homeownership while local governments continue expanding spending beyond what some voters consider core responsibilities.
DeSantis floated several possible reforms during the event, including expanding homestead exemptions, preventing local governments from shifting additional costs onto small businesses, and restricting newly arrived residents from immediately qualifying for homestead tax benefits.
“I don’t want every Tom, Dick, and Harry from out of state moving and rushing to buy a home here because they get a tax benefit,” DeSantis said, adding that Floridians who have already invested in the state should receive priority treatment under any new system.
Under his proposal, people relocating to Florida after the law takes effect would have to pay property taxes for a certain period before becoming eligible for homestead exemptions.
The governor also announced plans to call a special legislative session sometime this summer focused specifically on property tax reform. The session would occur after lawmakers complete the current budget-focused special session but before the mid-August deadline required for measures to appear on the November ballot.
The renewed push comes nearly two years after DeSantis first urged lawmakers to consider eliminating property taxes altogether. During the 2026 legislative session, Florida House Speaker Danny Perez responded with a proposal that would have phased out non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
DeSantis dismissed that proposal as “milquetoast,” while the Florida Senate declined to take up any property tax measure at all.
Not all Republicans are embracing the governor’s aggressive approach. Former Florida governor and current U.S. senator Rick Scott questioned whether such large tax cuts are realistic without a clear replacement for the lost revenue.
“I’d love to get rid of the property taxes,” Scott said during an appearance on Fox Business. “Unfortunately, you’ve got to think about what you’re going to replace it with.”
Scott noted that property tax revenue helps fund schools, transportation, environmental programs, and other public services, raising concerns about how local governments would continue paying for those obligations if collections were sharply reduced.
For his part, DeSantis argued Monday that remaining property tax dollars should be narrowly focused on what he called “core things,” including public safety, law enforcement, fire protection, and education.
The debate comes as property tax collections across Florida have surged dramatically in recent years. Reports cited by DeSantis indicate local governments now collect nearly $60 billion annually in property taxes, up from roughly $32 billion in 2019.
Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute estimated that eliminating property taxes for homesteaded properties would reduce revenue by approximately $18.5 billion. The organization also found that taxes on homesteaded properties account for roughly 36% of all property tax revenue statewide.
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