TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV)\u2014Leon County\u2019s legislative delegation heard from many who are concerned that property tax cuts could impact city services like parks, roads and other public services.<\/p>\n
Mayor John Dailey didn\u2019t mince words when he said Tallahassee\u2019s parks departments would be \u201cwiped out\u201d if property taxes were taken away.<\/p>\n
\u201dSo if we put proviso language in protecting law enforcement, how will that impact us? It will wipe out parks and recreation, which has a smaller budget than the police department budget. It will wipe out neighborhood affairs,\u201d said Mayor Dailey.<\/p>\n
Legislators are wrestling with a growing number of bills that would put property tax cuts on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.<\/p>\n
Cities like Tallahassee fund much of their budgets from property taxes. For Leon County specifically, more than half of the budget comes from property taxes. <\/p>\n
According to the Florida League of Cities<\/a>, almost 70% of Tallahassee\u2019s budget in FY \u201823 came from property tax.<\/p>\n Neither the city nor the county has raised its tax rate for years, but tax bills continue to go up because property values have increased. <\/p>\n Mayor Dailey didn\u2019t hold back in his assessment at Monday\u2019s meeting. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, if we put proviso language in protecting law enforcement, how will that impact us? It will wipe out parks and recreation, which has a smaller budget than the police department budget. It will wipe out neighborhood affairs,\u201d Mayor Dailey said.<\/p>\n Any property tax cuts would need to be proposed<\/a> as a constitutional amendment and would likely be voted on in 2026. Any of those proposals would need the support of 60% of voters. <\/p>\n Leon County\u2019s Tax Collector and Appraiser also spoke at Monday\u2019s meeting. They said they aren\u2019t taking a position on these changes but argued taxpayers need to be well-informed before any of them go through. <\/p>\n More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I always emphasize to them, look at the roads that you enjoy, look at the law enforcement, look at the school system and so forth,\u201d said Doris Maloy, the Leon County Tax Collector.<\/p>\n Nicki Hatch, the Assistant to the County Administrator for Legislative and Strategic Initiatives, said elimination of property taxes would radically change the county\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a minimum, these proposals will have significant impacts on local government budgets and the services we provide… The most severe proposals, however, threaten the functionality of local government as we know it,\u201d Hatch said.<\/p>\n None of the four lawmakers representing Tallahassee, Democrats or Republicans, articulated a clear position on property taxes on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do a lot with a little… In fact, out of 411 municipalities in the state of Florida, you\u2019d be proud to know the city of Tallahassee was named the most efficient local government in the state of Florida,\u201d said Mayor Dailey.<\/p>\n Neither the City of Tallahassee or Leon County has raised its tax rate, known as the millage rate, in years.<\/p>\n Still, property tax bills have continued to rise as the value of the underlying land has risen.<\/p>\n That\u2019s allowed Leon County to give all of their staff<\/a> a 5% raise, something the dissenting commissioners noted wouldn\u2019t be possible in a world without property tax.<\/p>\n Leon County leaders have used the general fund, paid for by property taxes, to keep fees<\/a> like the solid waste fee steady.<\/p>\n Both the City of Tallahassee and Leon County have wrestled with something called the \u201cfire service fee,\u201d which pays for firefighting services.<\/p>\n That\u2019s something that could instead be funded by property taxes, if the fee holds up in court<\/a>.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n