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FILE \u2013 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a meeting between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state cabinet at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., March 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Rebecca Blackwell, File)<\/p>\nSaying that the DeSantis administration and state Legislature are misleading voters, former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey is a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging a statewide vote on property taxes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a power grab, pure and simple,\u201d Davey said of the constitutional amendment placed by on the November ballot by the Republican-controlled Legislature. \u201cWhat we\u2019re requesting is that the language be fair. If they\u2019re putting something on the ballot, it should be fair and neutral. It shouldn\u2019t be trying to lead people toward a specific vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
The complaint, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, asks a judge to declare that the ballot question is \u201cunconstitutionally biased, misleading, and inaccurate\u201d and to order that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier rewrite it.<\/p>\n
Davey, along with another former Florida mayor, Thomas Campenni of Stuart, says the amendment is written like a campaign slogan with the words \u201cSave our homes from excessive property taxes,\u201d instead of describing the proposal in neutral terms. The official ballot summary says the amendment \u201cbenefits Florida taxpayers,\u201d but in fact, it only lowers taxes for some residents and shifts the tax burden to renters and business property owners.<\/p>\n
Many municipalities say that if voters adopt the measure, local budgets would face steep cuts, overriding the decisions made by local communities regarding their spending priorities.<\/p>\n
FILE \u2013 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a meeting between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state cabinet at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., March 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Rebecca Blackwell, File)<\/p>\n
The amendment increases the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 and lowers the cap on non-homesteaded properties from a 10% annual increase to 5%. But it does not protect \u201csmall business\u201d specifically, another way in which Davey and Campenni say the language is misleading.<\/p>\n
DeSantis and his supporters contend that local governments are overtaxing and overspending. In a social media post this week, DeSantis said the amendment is \u201cthe best opportunity in years\u201d to counter \u201cbloated local budgets.\u201d The comment came in response to an editorial<\/a> by The Wall Street Journal that called the Florida proposal a \u201cmistake\u201d that is \u201cpoorly designed.\u201d <\/p>\n Key Biscayne\u2019s representative in the State Senate, Republican Alexis Calatayud, voted to put the question on the ballot. The state House seat for Key Biscayne remains vacant. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to destroy a lot of municipalities,\u201d Davey said. But the effect in Key Biscayne might not be as severe. <\/p>\n An initial estimate from Village Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Nussbaum said the property tax proposal could reduce revenues by $1.6 million a year, with about 115 properties paying zero village taxes. It could be much larger in future years, however, depending on market trends. <\/p>\n Key Biscayne actually reduced its property tax rate last year while increasing overall property taxes \u2014 again, by shifting costs to non-homesteaded properties. Analysis is still ongoing, but Village budget planners will have multiple scenarios for consideration by the Council for the fall budget vote.<\/p>\n The lawsuit was assigned to Circuit Court Judge Angela Dempsey. No hearings have yet been set.<\/p>\n Never miss a story! Sign up for our FREE newsletter<\/p>\n
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