by Mike Meehan
Currently, there are two property bills gaining legislative traction in Tallahassee which if approved by Florida voters this fall would benefit homesteaders of which there are 111,354 properties in Manatee County and homesteaders who are 65 and older of which there are 61,058 properties.
The first bill (HJR209) would provide an additional $100,000 exemption/reduction in assessed value and according to recent reports is ready to go before the full House once the legislative session begins Jan.13. This bill would save homesteaders $664.00 annually and reduce Manatee County property tax revenues by $75.4 million representing a 17.2% reduction based on 2025 property tax revenues of $439.4 million.
The second bill (HJR 205) which eliminates property taxes for homesteaders 65 and over would result in an average savings of $1665.00 per homestead. This measure would reduce Manatee County property tax collections by $101.6 million resulting in a 23.1% reduction in property tax revenues to Manatee County based on total 2025 property tax collection of $439.4 million.
Another idea for property tax reduction is a .5 millage cut from 6.6435 per $1,000 valuation to 6.16435. This initiative would come from the Manatee County Commission and is completely independent of anything proposed in Tallahassee. This initiative would save homesteaders $132.00 in 2026 and reduce property tax collection by $14.6 million. Since Manatee County surpluses have averaged $200 million per year since 2017 and current unrestricted cash as of the latest interim financial report is $790.2 million, a .5 millage reduction is financially feasible for 2026.
Mike Meehan, CFA, MBA
Manatee County