The most comprehensive analysis to date of the impact of proposals to overhaul Florida property taxes shows the dramatic and far-reaching impacts the plans would have in Broward County.<\/p>\n
Individual Broward homeowners could see thousands of dollars in savings a year.<\/p>\n
But the cumulative effect of those tax reductions on homes and condos could add up to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, or more, to the county government and Broward\u2019s cities, towns and villages.\u00a0If that money isn\u2019t made up in some way, local leaders warn that the services homeowners want, and need, could be decimated.<\/p>\n
The property tax plans under consideration in Tallahassee include only the proposed cuts, and don\u2019t say anything about how to make up the lost revenue, which would total billions of dollars a year statewide.<\/p>\n
In Broward County alone, the most talked about property tax proposal would reduce income to local governments by more than $1.4 billion in the first year, said Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar. A state estimate put the statewide total at $14.1 billion in the first year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you vote to put something on the ballot, it\u2019s going to be one of the most consequential votes you\u2019ll ever take,\u201d Kiar told senators and representatives at a recent Broward Legislative Delegation hearing. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be so far reaching.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kiar knows the implications better than most. Serving in his third term as the countywide elected property appraiser, he\u2019s also a former Broward County commissioner, and a former state representative.<\/p>\n
He prepared the analysis of the impact on Broward, for individual property owners and for local governments.<\/p>\n
The size of the reductions may sound good to individuals, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re the right thing to do, said Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa.<\/p>\n
\u201cLowering taxes, that sounds great. But the reality is, you know, if you were to offer me candy for dinner, I might say yes. But that\u2019s not the best thing for me. I need some protein. I need some balanced carbs. I need some vegetables, and that\u2019s the situation that we have here,\u201d Driskell told reporters Thursday after a lengthy property tax hearing in the Capitol.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the governor and the Legislature throwing out these proposals that would be the equivalent of something that sounds good but has the unintended consequence of truly harming our communities,\u201d Driskell said.<\/p>\n
Local government leaders are trying to figure out how decisions made on the state level, and ultimately by voters, would affect how much people pay in property taxes, and how much revenue local government would take in.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Mitch Rosenwald, a Democrat and former Oakland Park city commissioner, said there\u2019s a tension between priorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cHomeowners need municipal services. Homeowners need economic relief,\u201d Rosenwald said. \u201cSo that\u2019s the middle ground that we\u2019re trying to find: efficiencies of government, but enough services that take care of our public.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impact on homeowners<\/p>\n
The proposal that has received the most attention would eliminate property taxes \u2014 except for School Districts \u2014 entirely for owner-occupied residential properties that have homestead exemptions.<\/p>\n
The median residential property owner in Broward would save $2,421\u00a0in the first year, according to Kiar\u2019s analysis. The median means half would save more and half would save less.<\/p>\n
The impact would vary enormously.<\/p>\n
In the county\u2019s most populous city, Fort Lauderdale, the median homeowner would save more: $2,929.<\/p>\n
In the second most populous city, Pembroke Pines, the savings would be $2,412, according to Kiar\u2019s calculation, almost exactly the same as the countywide median.<\/p>\n
In 12 of the county\u2019s cities, towns and villages, Kiar\u2019s analysis shows, the median savings would top $3,000 a year.<\/p>\n
In 14 places, it would be less than $2,000 a year. In the remaining five communities, the median savings is estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 a year.<\/p>\n
Some of the differences stem from much higher home values in particular communities. If properties are more expensive in some locations \u2014 think a high-rise beachfront condominium or a manse with a large tract of property in the western part of the county \u2014 they\u2019re likely to have higher taxable values. In other words, there\u2019s more taxable value to cut by eliminating property taxes on homesteaded property.<\/p>\n
Some communities have much higher levels of services and taxpayer-funded amenities paid for by higher property taxes.<\/p>\n
And, an especially big factor, Kiar said, is that some communities have lots of commercial and other business property \u2014 which wouldn\u2019t get the new tax reductions \u2014 while others are predominantly residential, meaning those communities would see a big reduction.<\/p>\n
Kiar pointed to Parkland, the affluent community in northwest Broward that is overwhelmingly residential. The median tax savings for a residential homeowner there would be $6,913.<\/p>\n
He also highlighted Pembroke Park, in southern Broward, which is mostly non-residential property and the residential property isn\u2019t overwhelmingly high end. The median savings in Pembroke Park would be $507, Kiar estimated.<\/p>\n
Kiar\u2019s analysis applied the constitutional amendments as if they were in effect for the 2025 tax year.<\/p>\n
Impact on governments<\/p>\n
Kiar said the Parkland and Pembroke Park examples show the dramatically different collective impact of the proposed tax reduction.<\/p>\n
In overwhelmingly residential Parkland, it would total $28.2 million, which amounts to more than 75% of what it takes in via property taxes.<\/p>\n
In heavily commercial Pembroke Park, it would total $142,000, which is just 1.3% of the budget.<\/p>\n
Overall, the collective reduction in revenues from the plan would be enormous.<\/p>\n
For Broward County government, it would amount to $624.8 million in the first year, which is 34.6% of what the county government receives from property taxes.<\/p>\n
Some communities would lose much larger shares of their property tax money than others.<\/p>\n
Seven cities, towns and villages would lose less than 25% of their property tax revenue. Eighteen would lose between 25% to 50% of their property tax income.<\/p>\n
And six would lose more than 50%.<\/p>\n
Cooper City would lose $17 million, which is 61.7% of its property tax revenue. Southwest Ranches would lose $6.5 million, which is 60.5% of its revenues.<\/p>\n
In eastern Broward County, Deerfield Beach would lose $17.8 million, or 23.7%; Fort Lauderdale would lose $79.9 million, or 28.9%; Oakland Park would lose $10.6 million, or 27.3%; and Wilton Manors would lose $6.3 million, or 39.5% of its property tax revenue.<\/p>\n
The size of the potential property tax reductions would be exceedingly difficult for local governments to absorb if there is no alternative funding stream, Adam Reichbach, president of the Broward County City Managers Association, told the county legislative delegation.<\/p>\n
Reichbach, who is also assistant city manager in Hollywood, said that across Broward\u2019s 31 municipalities, property taxes fund nearly half of general fund budgets.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic safety alone accounts for about 55% of the average general fund, meaning many cities\u2019 public safety costs are well in excess of their entire property tax revenue. And in some cases, law enforcement budgets alone exceed total property tax revenue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reichbach pleaded for a result that \u201cbalance(s) taxpayer relief with the need to sustain vital services for our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Republicans on the House Select Committee on Property Taxes voted Thursday to advance a range of proposals, state Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, chair of the committee, told reporters that local governments should be looking at their budgets with an eye toward reductions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they should have concerns about how they\u2019re going to be spending their money, and I think that this is a line in the sand,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Florida Legislature has said that in fact we\u2019ve seen some times where the budgets may in fact be bloated. The budgets may need to be tightened.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Broward](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/TFL-L-marty-kiar-delegation-01.jpg\")
Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar presented a detailed analysis of proposed changes to Florida property tax law to the Broward Legislative Delegation meeting in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 13, 2025. (Anthony Man\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nTallahassee moves<\/p>\n
Kiar\u2019s analysis is a detailed assessment of the effects of each proposal, as of mid-November. His analysis didn\u2019t opine on whether the cuts are good or bad.<\/p>\n
The state Legislature will determine what happens.<\/p>\n
If three-fifths of the state House and Senate approve one or more proposed amendments to the state Constitution, which is the way to effect major changes in property taxes in Florida, they\u2019d go before voters in November 2026.<\/p>\n
Passage requires 60% of the vote in the referendum.<\/p>\n
Republicans, generally, have championed the tax-reductions proposals and Democrats have generally been skeptical.<\/p>\n
![\"Denise](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763821627_761_TFL-L-horland-reichbach-1021-01.jpg\")
Denise Horland, president of the Broward League of Cities and a Plantation City Council member, and Adam Reichbach, assistant city manager of Hollywood and president of the Broward County City Managers’ Association, during a meeting of city officials and members of the Broward Legislative Delegation at the county Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 21, 2025. They warned that proposals to cut property taxes would hurt local governments’ ability to deliver services that residents want. (Anthony Man\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763821627_937_Screenshot-2025-11-15-091239.jpg\")
A report by Broward’s property appraiser shows the fiscal impact of one of the Legislature’s property tax cut proposals.