St. Petersburg stands to lose about $75 million should voters approve Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 property tax plan that would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000, city officials said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The projection comes as cities and counties across the state assess what DeSantis\u2019 plan could mean to their bottom lines and services they may need to cut.<\/p>\n
A Florida League of Cities analysis of public safety spending found that 85 cities would not be able to fund public safety at the same level, even if they eliminated every other service funded by property taxes. Those municipalities include Largo, Gulfport, Temple Terrace, Seminole and Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n
DeSantis has been promising property tax relief for owner-occupied properties over the past year<\/a>. His administration has been traveling the state pointing out what it deems are inflated budgets and misspending in local governments, including in St. Petersburg<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doyle Walsh, Mayor Ken Welch\u2019s chief of staff, told City Council members in a committee meeting Thursday morning that, using 2025 property values, the city would take a $74.8 million hit in property tax revenue effective Oct. 1, 2028 should voters approve the increased exemption.<\/p>\n Should 60% of voters approve the referendum that appears to be headed to the November ballot, then the city would lose half that amount, around $37 million, when a phased-in $150,000 exemption goes into effect Oct. 1, 2027.<\/p>\n The committee approved a resolution urging lawmakers to \u201ccarefully consider the practical and financial impacts of any proposed property tax reform on local governments and the communities they serve before advancing any constitutional amendment or related legislation.\u201d It is going before the full council for approval later Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cOK, so when you\u2019re talking 74 million, and we have what we pay police and fire … that is not an intersection mural<\/a>,\u201d said City Council chairperson Lisset Hanewicz. \u201cThey\u2019re going through all these, you know, culture wars and all this stuff, and government spending, and blah blah blah. This is literally going and destroying a budget.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s 70-something million dollars that are going to police and fire right now, and we\u2019re not even covering it all,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd then they\u2019re going to be like, well, you\u2019re going to still have to do it because you can find that type of money under a seat cushion.\u201d<\/p>\n