WATCH: Rural counties sound alarm as House advances sweeping property tax changes<\/p>\n
Rural counties sound alarm as House advances sweeping property tax changes<\/p>\n
The debate unfolded as county officials from across the state were already in Tallahassee for \u201cRural County Day,\u201d urging lawmakers to slow down or abandon the plan altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, there\u2019s no way to make up this money,\u201d said Paul Carlisle, who warned lawmakers that small, rural counties lack alternative revenue sources.<\/p>\n
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said the gradual phase-in isn\u2019t as helpful as it might seem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe phase-in component of it is actually worse than the alternative, because what this is, is, it\u2019s conditioning our citizens to accept a lower quality of life over time,\u201d Kruse told the House Ways and Means Committee<\/a>.<\/p>\n Concerns weren\u2019t limited to rural areas. Officials from larger counties, including Pinellas, also cautioned that the proposal could shift costs rather than eliminate them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll need to look at making up that revenue in other areas,\u201d said Rene Flowers. \u201cSo it could potentially be an increase in your stormwater sewer fees. It could be an increase in your sanitation fees. It certainly will be an increase for Parks and Recreation.\u201d<\/p>\n Under the House proposal, the homestead exemption would increase by $100,000 each year, eventually eliminating non-school property taxes on primary residences if approved by voters.<\/p>\n Supporters argue the plan is necessary to address affordability and rising property tax bills, and say local governments will need to adapt just as families have.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not asking counties and cities to do anything that Florida families aren\u2019t having to do,\u201d said Monique Miller, the proposal\u2019s sponsor. \u201cTimes have been tough, and we are all working off of fixed incomes\u2026We\u2019re asking them to do exactly what Florida families are having to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller added that the phased approach gives local governments time to adjust, noting that the first-year impact would represent only a fraction of overall property tax collections.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the voters decide that this is the path forward, then I\u2019m sure there\u2019s going to be a lot of tough conversations about how they\u2019re going to be able to deliver services to their communities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Republicans largely rallied behind the proposal, framing the debate as one of taxpayers versus government spending.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fundamental question to me is, do people exist to fund governments and to serve governments, or do governments exist to serve people?\u201d said Alex Rizo, R-Miami.<\/p>\n Democrats pushed back, warning the tax cuts could come at the expense of critical services.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should not be cutting property taxes,\u201d said Dianne Hart, D-Tampa. \u201cThere are too many vital services that people need that we\u2019re going to take away.\u201d<\/p>\n The proposal is one of several property tax ideas<\/a> still under consideration in the House, and it remains unclear which version \u2014 if any \u2014 will ultimately reach voters. The Senate is weighing its own options, with Senate President Ben Albritton<\/a> saying he wants to get the policy right before rushing it to the ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe the premise of getting it right before we get it done quickly, that matters most,\u201d Albritton said. \u201cAnd I believe that would matter most to Floridians.\u201d<\/p>\n
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