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The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis defended his proposal to reduce residential property taxes and urged the counties of Miami-Dade and Palm Beach to support his initiative, arguing that both have the economic capacity to do so.
"Miami... has the wealthiest people in the history of humanity buying homes there. They are paying taxes. Why not provide some relief to its middle-class residents? We can do it!" said DeSantis, as quoted by Telemundo 51.
The governor was straightforward in labeling the current tax burden on homeowners as "unsustainable."
He also noted that the counties in South Florida have room to act with greater ambition: "Miami, Palm Beach, have all kinds of capabilities to do all of this and, in fact, they should do so more aggressively than what this proposal outlines on the ballot."
The proposal, which will be debated starting Monday in a special legislative session convened by DeSantis, aims to raise the homestead exemption from the current $50,000 to $250,000 of the taxable value of the primary residence.
According to the Republican leader, this increase would eliminate the property tax for 60% of homeowners in Florida, and the measure would be implemented gradually.
"And that will be historic," he stated while presenting the plan last Wednesday in Tampa.
To reach the ballot for November, the constitutional amendment would need the support of 60% of both legislative chambers; then, to be approved, it would require a favorable vote from 60% of the voters.
The governor announced that the state will create a fund to compensate schools, police departments, and other essential services that currently rely on the revenue generated by that tax.
However, the numbers reveal the impact that the measure would have on local budgets.
A data analysis by the property appraiser of Miami-Dade estimates that the county could lose approximately $500 million in annual revenue, while Broward would face a reduction of about $329 million.
At the municipal level, the effects would be even more pronounced in certain localities: Cooper City could see a 35% decrease in its budget, Tamarac a 33% decrease, and Plantation a 23% decrease.
For property owners, however, the benefit would be tangible. An analysis by the Broward appraiser estimates average savings of $1,800 per year, while in Miami-Dade, the average savings would be around $1,500 annually.
DeSantis has been pushing this fiscal agenda for over a year.
In May 2025, he proposed $1,000 rebate checks for property owners as an immediate measure, and in October of that year he warned that property taxes could not drive citizens out of their homes.
In August 2025, Miami-Dade property owners began receiving property tax notifications with moderate increases, amidst a backdrop where the debate over the tax burden was already on the state's political agenda.
At the state level, economists estimate that completely eliminating taxes on primary residences could result in a loss of up to $14.1 billion annually in revenue for non-school local governments, making the proposal one of the most ambitious—and controversial—tax reforms in Florida's recent history.
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