Florida's property tax bill nearly doubled in seven years and DeSantis just decided that stops now.
Now Florida and Texas are fighting over every family fleeing a blue state.
DeSantis just dropped a nuclear option in that war and it could eliminate property taxes for 60 percent of Florida homeowners.
DeSantis Calls Special Session to Make It Happen
Property tax revenue collected by Florida local governments has nearly doubled in seven years – from $32 billion to an estimated $83 billion by 2032.
DeSantis had enough.
He called a special legislative session in June and pushed through a constitutional amendment that now goes to Florida voters in November.
The proposal raises Florida's existing $50,000 homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027.
Then it jumps to $250,000 in 2028.
https://twitter.com/DallasExpress/status/2064004683853693201?s=20
For the majority of Florida homeowners, that wipes out their property tax bill entirely.
DeSantis called it exactly what it is: "Florida homeowners need relief. Now is the time to stand up for taxpayers, enact a historic reform, and save the home of every Floridian."
The legislature passed it – with only two Republicans voting no.
It goes to voters in November, where it needs 60 percent approval to take effect.
Texas Just Got a Problem
Here is the number that should be making Austin nervous.
Texas added 391,243 new residents last year – nearly double Florida's 196,980.
Texas is winning the migration war right now.
But Florida's domestic migration – meaning Americans moving from one state to another – collapsed in 2025.
The Census Bureau reported Florida's net domestic migration dropped to just 22,517 last year, down from 183,646 in 2023 and 310,892 the year before that.
Florida fell from the top of the domestic migration rankings all the way to eighth place.
Alabama actually beat Florida last year in state-to-state moves.
DeSantis sees the trend.
He knows that Florida's weather and lifestyle advantages alone are not enough to stay ahead of an aggressive Texas that offers no income tax and a lower cost of living in most markets.
A $250,000 homestead exemption gives Florida something Texas cannot easily match overnight.
https://twitter.com/RepTenney/status/2063719627176247751?s=20
It makes homeownership dramatically cheaper and gives every retiree on a fixed income a reason to plant a permanent flag in Florida instead of drifting toward Austin or Dallas.
Real estate analysts are already taking notice.
Douglas Elliman's Nick Malinosky told Fox News Digital that tax policy "simply becomes another advantage in an increasingly competitive relocation landscape" – and that the proposal would be particularly appealing to households planning a permanent move rather than buying a second home.
The Stakes Are Bigger Than Tax Bills
This is not just about saving a few hundred dollars a year.
Population means power.
Texas and Florida are both on track to gain congressional seats after the 2030 census – at the direct expense of California, Illinois and New York.
One Carnegie Mellon analysis projected four more House seats for Texas and Florida combined, with California losing four seats and New York losing two.
Every family that picks Florida over a blue state is a future voter, a future tax base, and a future congressional seat.
https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/2062948244078973210?s=20
When you bleed residents to Florida and Texas, you lose political influence for a decade at minimum.
The amendment also includes a protection for longtime Floridians – anyone who establishes residency after January 1, 2027, must maintain Florida residency for up to five years before qualifying for the full expanded exemption.
That rewards people already there and gives them a reason to stay planted.
Why This Passes in November
Florida has done this before.
The state has raised its homestead exemption repeatedly – and voters have approved every major expansion when given the chance.
Sixty percent of Florida voters need to approve it in November, and the political environment for tax relief has never been stronger.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia captured the mood precisely: "Taxpayers are sick and tired of their local governments taxing and spending, crying poor, saying they don't have the money and then come back to you as an endless ATM asking for more, more, more."
That is exactly how the homeowner receiving his annual property tax notice feels.
DeSantis is betting that when voters see a chance to cut their tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, they take it.
He is probably right.
Sources:
- Governor Ron DeSantis, "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes Announcement," Executive Office of the Governor, May 27, 2026.
- Amanda Macias, "Florida and Texas Are Battling for New Residents – DeSantis Thinks He Found an Advantage," Fox News, June 7, 2026.
- Kylie Jones, "Florida Legislature Approves DeSantis Property Tax Cut Plan for November Ballot," FOX 13 Tampa Bay, June 3, 2026.
- Fox Business, "Florida Passes $250,000 Homestead Exemption That Could Erase Property Taxes," June 3, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic Decline in Net International Migration," March 2026.
- Stateline, "Immigration Drops Shift Population, Political Power to Texas and Florida," January 27, 2026.
