DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Property tax reform remains a top priority this legislative session, with Tallahassee homeowners closely watching as House Joint Resolution 203 moves through committees. Advocates hope to see reform measures on the November ballot.
WATCH REPORT BELOW:
Property tax reform bills advance as homeowners weigh options
“I’ll be voting with my own checkbook. It absolutely benefits me, and it makes good sense,” said David West, a Tallahassee homeowner. “What I like about this is it’s going to force local governments to become much more efficient.”
HJR 203 would increase non-school tax exemptions by $100,000 each year for the next 10 years. By 2037, the goal is for homestead properties to be completely exempt from all non-school property taxes.
Leon County said this would amount to a $43 million reduction in their budget.
“This is a fiscal crisis by design,” said Vincent Long, County Administrator at the Leon County Retreat in January.
Other Commissioners have stated they are interested in looking into where relief could come for residents.
Akin Akinyemi, Leon County’s property tax appraiser, explained that the majority of Leon County’s revenue comes from property taxes.
“58.7% come from property tax alone. Of that number, 40% is from homesteading,” Akinyemi said.
His office is waiting to see which bills will advance.
“For this particular issue, we have not taken any position, other than to privately talk to people that we know individually to kind of advise them and let them know,” Akinyemi said.
He said any cuts to property taxes would not affect their work valuing properties in the County.
The County has previously mentioned plans to push marketing campaigns to highlight the impact of property tax reductions. Akinyemi believes if reform is on the ballot, voters would likely favor it.
West said if HJR 203 goes into effect, his taxes would be reduced by more than $1,000 in the first year alone. He believes this would bring relief and push local government to prioritize what matters most to the community.
“They’re going to have to reprioritize. They’re going to have to decide what is most important to the people instead of trying to do everything for everybody,” West said.
It remains unclear which bills will make it to the November ballot. Any reform measure must receive a 60% approval rate from voters to pass.
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