TAMPA, Fla. – A set of four proposed constitutional amendments designed to reduce property taxes for Florida homeowners moved forward on Tuesday in the Florida House.Â
The republican-controlled State Affairs Committee approved the measures along party lines as part of a broader effort to ease financial pressure on homeowners. One amendment would eliminate non-school homestead property taxes — a change that could cut more than $14 billion from local government budgets in the first year.Â
Supporters say the goal is to help residents struggling with high insurance costs.
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What we know:
“What we’re trying to do is address the property insurance burden that we have heard about,” says State Representative Wyman Duggan (R- Jacksonville). “This is a mechanism to do that… we are giving the voters the option to decide on this.”
However, local officials across Tampa Bay are sounding alarms about what those cuts could mean.Â
South Pasadena Vice Mayor Tom Reid warned the financial fallout would be significant. “With less revenue, we face daunting choices.”Â
“We will need to cut or scale back vital services such as roads and infrastructure, park upkeep, emergency services and, yes, very likely, law enforcement,” Reid says.Â
Treasure Island Fire Chief Trip Barrs also testified that many departments rely directly on property-tax funding. “If those revenues decline without an established alternative revenue source, there will be a direct and unavoidable impact to service delivery,” Barrs says.
What we don’t know:
It remains unclear how cities and counties would replace the billions lost under the amendments. Lawmakers have not outlined alternative revenue sources, and officials warn that without new funding streams, costs may shift to renters or businesses.
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Timeline:
The measures need approval from one additional House committee before reaching the full House during the 2026 legislative session. If passed, they would require 60% voter support on the 2026 ballot.Â
The Source: Information for this story comes from legislative testimony, state committee documents and reporting from News Service of Florida.Â