Florida lawmakers tackle taxes with potential savings—but at what cost?

Florida lawmakers were taking aim at taxes Thursday in the state House, with the Ways and Means Committee advancing several bills that could save residents money. But the question remains: what will be the impact on local governments and vital public services?

The committee unanimously approved HJR 1039, a measure that, if passed by voters on the 2026 ballot, would freeze a home’s assessed value after flood prevention improvements, such as elevating the property on stilts. Rep. Kimberly Berfield (R-Clearwater) is carrying the bill.

“I generally seek out and support policy changes that are designed to assist homeowners with efforts they undertake when they are mitigating these types of properties that are at risk of flood damage,” she said.

The conversation then shifted to more contentious territory. Rep. Monique Miller (R-Palm Bay) is backing a proposal to phase out local option sales taxes by 2033. Under the plan, voters would have to re-approve those taxes before that date—and every eight years afterward.

Opponents argue that this could create financial instability for cities and counties, leaving them vulnerable to losing key sources of revenue. Rep. Robin Bartleman (D-Weston) voiced concern over the consequences for vital public services.

"You’re telling people, yeah—we’re going to save you a lot of money,” she said. “But when fire rescue doesn’t show up, when they can’t go to a hospital, when their roads have potholes, it’s our fault.”

Despite those concerns, Republicans pushed forward with the proposal, arguing that the greater goal is transparency in taxation.

Miller defended the idea, saying, “Why does everybody assume it’s all just going to go away if we give it to discerning taxpayers and explain to them the value that we’re bringing to them? If it’s valuable, they’re not going to get rid of it.”

Meanwhile, there are more ambitious proposals still waiting for action in committee—ideas that would dramatically reduce or even start the process of eliminating property taxes in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has expressed his support for such measures.

“They bought a house 10 years ago, and now someone's telling you it's worth a million dollars, and they’ve got to pony up more money to the government,” DeSantis said earlier this month. “Our homestead exemption is not adequate.”

Rep. Ryan Chamberlin (R-Ocala) is spearheading two bills that somewhat align with the governor’s vision. One proposes a $100,000 property tax exemption for all properties—not just homesteads. The other bill seeks to cap property tax revenue growth at 2% per year, requiring any excess to be rebated or used to pay down government debt.

However, neither of these proposals has been scheduled for a committee hearing yet. Chamberlin acknowledged the long road ahead.

“Well, hey, I think we’re still early in the process,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of time left. There have been healthy discussions. It feels like there’s an appetite for the conversation. I think we’ve got to have the conversation… I don’t believe we’re going to get rid of property taxes this year. I think it’s going to take several years. There are things we can do along the way to create some relief—and that’s what we’re working on now.”

For now, the most dramatic changes may not gain traction this session. But smaller, more immediate measures are advancing—leaving the question of whether they will reach the governor's desk, and how much they could cost local governments, still up in the air.