{"id":328616,"date":"2026-07-03T17:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/328616\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T17:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:25:09","slug":"wasnt-my-proposal-desantis-to-vote-for-homestead-tax-amendment-but-distances-himself-from-legislatures-version","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/328616\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Wasn\u2019t my proposal\u2019: DeSantis to vote for homestead tax amendment but distances himself from Legislature\u2019s version"},"content":{"rendered":"

FLORIDA \u2013 Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to put some distance between himself and a property tax measure he pushed for that is going before voters in November, as reported by our partners at News Service of Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DeSantis said Monday he will vote for the ballot item regarding homestead property taxes, but \u201cwhat the Legislature did wasn\u2019t my proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone asked me to do something, I\u2019m not saying I wouldn\u2019t, but in terms of leading the effort, in terms of me saying, \u2018here we go, we\u2019re going to do this, we\u2019re going to do all that.\u2019 You know, I\u2019m not going to do it,\u201d DeSantis said during a bill signing event in Tampa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019ll likely pass,\u201d DeSantis continued. \u201cI mean, because if you read it, I think most people are going to be supportive of it. But I don\u2019t know that. I know ours would have passed, because we did a lot of research on exactly how to structure it and how to do that, and so we\u2019ll just see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

During an event in Bradenton on June 24, DeSantis pointed to his on-going rift with House leadership when saying, \u201cI applaud that the Legislature was willing to put something on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n

When calling the special session on May 27, DeSantis recommended immediately raising the current exemption for homestead properties from $50,000 to $250,000, with the Legislature scheduling a further expansion after the measure passes that would eventually eliminate taxes completely for those properties.<\/p>\n

Legislators tweaked the plan (HJR 1-F) the next week during the special session, carving out the impact on school districts.<\/p>\n

Under the measure put on the ballot, the current $50,000 property tax exemption would increase to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, but it wouldn\u2019t apply to school district levies. The annual 10-percent cap on increases to non-homestead property assessments would drop to 5 percent.<\/p>\n

Future legislators would be allowed to further expand the exemption.<\/p>\n

The joint resolution went straight to the ballot without needing DeSantis\u2019 signature.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSave Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes\u201d proposal, set as Amendment 3 on the November ballot, has already drawn opposition in the form of a political committee called Vote No on 3 and Stop Unfair Tax Shifts.<\/p>\n

Chaired by former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge, the committee argues the proposal will result in dramatic cuts to essential local services and shift taxes to renters, commercial property and first-time home buyers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know it\u2019ll cost tens of billions. But the politicians haven\u2019t told us how they\u2019ll pay for it,\u201d Vote No On 3 states on its website. \u201cThis amendment could eventually bleed $34 billion from local government budgets. The costs and consequences of this amendment will show up as higher rent, more expensive everyday purchases, costlier first homes, and in fewer small businesses that can\u2019t absorb an increase in commercial property taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n

A legislative staff analysis of the resolution put the revenue impact on local governments at $4.95 billion in fiscal year 2027-2028, growing to $8.78 billion the following year and eventually $11.86 billion by fiscal year 2031-2032.<\/p>\n

DeSantis has made increases in local government budgets since 2019 a key part of his pitch for the homestead change. During the recent Bradenton appearance, he called the referendum \u201ca modest reduction\u201d in revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, they\u2019re still way, way more than they were in 2019, local governments relative to inflation and population growth. Don\u2019t let anyone tell you differently on that,\u201d DeSantis asserted.<\/p>\n

Paperwork submitted to the Division of Elections doesn\u2019t show any direct tie to any local government and none of Vote No On 3\u2019s initial contributions are from a city, municipal or county government.<\/p>\n

Still, DeSantis on Monday called it \u201cinappropriate\u201d for local governments to spend money to oppose the ballot proposal that needs 60 percent voter support to pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know the details of this political committee, but I think it\u2019s totally inappropriate if local governments are spending, you know, spending a bunch of money saying that they need more money,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n

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