Democrats thought they had killed property tax reform.
But Ron DeSantis isn’t backing down from a fight.
And Ron DeSantis just blindsided leftist lawmakers with this jaw-dropping plan to help Florida homeowners.
DeSantis calls for complete elimination of property taxes
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has ramped up his battle against skyrocketing property taxes with a bombshell announcement that left Democrat lawmakers speechless.
During a Tampa roundtable on Wednesday, DeSantis called for a 2026 ballot amendment that would completely eliminate property taxes in Florida.
“That would allow Floridians to be able to own their home without having to pay rent to the government,” DeSantis declared.
The Governor’s plan would free homeowners from the crushing burden of ever-increasing property taxes that have forced countless families to sell homes they’ve owned for generations.
DeSantis slammed local governments for their bloated budgets, arguing they need to return to pre-pandemic spending levels instead of continuing to siphon money from hardworking Floridians.
House Republicans team up with Democrats to block relief
When the Republican-controlled House created a 37-member committee to “study” property tax reform, DeSantis immediately recognized the trap.
“You convene a 37-person committee if you’re trying to smother it in the crib,” DeSantis said. “They’re trying to kill any chance of property tax relief by doing this committee.”
The Governor didn’t mince words about House Speaker Daniel Perez’s strategy of stacking the committee with left-wing Democrats hostile to tax cuts.
“The governor accused House leadership of derailing efforts to reduce property taxes by including ‘Far left Democrats’ on the panel,” WESH Orlando reported.
One of those Democrats, Representative Anna Eskamani, predictably used fear tactics about defunding police and schools – the left’s go-to response whenever Republicans try to cut taxes.
“The total amount of property tax revenue in the state of Florida is about $50 billion,” Eskamani claimed, “and that is going toward public education, police, fire, other essential services.”
DeSantis threatens to veto “Florida-last” tax package
The Governor also promised to veto the House’s proposal to reduce the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%, calling it a “Florida-last” plan that would primarily benefit tourists rather than residents.
“We are not going to kneecap our ability to provide you property tax relief, just so we can give a little bit of a benefit to Canadian tourist,” DeSantis said.
Senator Blaise Ingoglia, a key DeSantis ally, warned that Florida is headed for a property tax revolt due to out-of-control assessments.
“We are seeing property taxes skyrocket at sort of the levels that we saw in the mid-2000s,” Ingoglia explained. “You’ve seen a rise in property values, a corresponding rise in property taxes, and then governments have expanded beyond their wildest dreams over the last five years.”
Ingoglia added that local governments won’t voluntarily tighten their belts.
“They’re not going to cut by themselves,” Ingoglia said. “They’re going to have to be forced to cut. And this is why giving property tax relief is so important.”
Two DeSantis-backed measures that would have put a property tax relief initiative on the November 2026 ballot died in the legislature on Saturday.
However, the Governor has made it clear he’s just getting started in his fight to free Florida homeowners from the crushing burden of property taxes.
