Florida Congressman Byron Donalds just poured cold water on Governor Ron DeSantis’ popular plan to eliminate property taxes.
The rising Republican star stunned supporters with his cautious approach to tax relief.
And Byron Donalds just shocked Florida conservatives with this unexpected stance on property taxes.
Donalds urges lawmakers to pump the brakes on property tax elimination
U.S. Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) has built a reputation as a staunch conservative and champion of limited government.
But the Naples Republican is taking a surprisingly measured approach to Governor Ron DeSantis’ bold proposal to eliminate property taxes in Florida.
During a recent interview on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele, Donalds acknowledged the widespread frustration over rising property taxes but warned against moving too quickly on such a consequential change.
“I live in Naples. I would love to get rid of property taxes,” Donalds admitted. “But we have a lot of counties in the state that do not have the tourism base that Miami or Naples or Fort Myers or Palm Beach County or Orlando have. What does a proposal like that do to rural counties?”
Donalds’ concerns stand in stark contrast to DeSantis’ ambitious plan to put a property tax elimination measure on the 2026 ballot.Â
The Governor has argued that bloated local budgets have driven up property taxes, unfairly burdening homeowners while government spending balloons.
Rural counties could face severe financial strain
While tourist hotspots like Miami and Orlando might easily shift their tax burden to visitors, Donalds highlighted the potential crisis facing Florida’s less-visited regions.
“In these rural counties and these northern counties in the state of Florida, what does a proposal like that do to these counties?” Donalds noted.
The Congressman praised the Florida House’s more deliberate approach through its 37-member Select Committee on Property Taxes, which is conducting a bipartisan examination of potential reforms.
“I’m glad the Legislature—I think they’re on the way to studying property taxes,” he said. “Let’s see what kind of adjustments we can make. How can we take the burden off of people who homestead in the state of Florida?”
Donalds cautions against hasty political decisions
Despite his reputation as a fiscal conservative, Donalds emphasized that Florida must consider long-term financial stability over short-term political wins.
“We have to be thoughtful because it really does impact the state financially, not just today, but where it’s going to go into the future and there’s a lot of stuff that has to get done,” Donalds warned.
The Congressman described the current property tax debate as “a little disjointed” and called for key stakeholders to come together.
“The only way you really resolve this stuff is people just got to get in the room, sit at the table, the key people, key principles, and hash this stuff out,” he said. “And I think you can get to a resolution pretty quickly.”
While expressing support for reducing Florida’s tax burden overall, Donalds reminded listeners that the Sunshine State already compares favorably to most of the nation.
“Look, compare us to any other state. We really do have one of the lowest tax burdens in the country,” he said. “And we have the best state in the country. So as we make these adjustments, let’s just make sure we’re clear-eyed—not just about the politics today, but what it means over the long term.”
Donalds’ comments signal potential friction between DeSantis’ aggressive push to eliminate property taxes and legislators who favor a more careful, methodical approach to reform.
