Should Florida phase out homestead property taxes?
Why it's live: The Legislature wrapped a special session this week and approved DeSantis's "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes" amendment, sending it to the November 2026 ballot (lawmakers carved out school revenue first; DeSantis is already grumbling about the changes). It creates a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027, rising to $250,000 in 2028, with a path toward full elimination. It needs 60% of voters to pass — and as a Cape Coral homeowner, Marco, this one hits your bill directly.
For
Florida homeowners have absorbed years of soaring assessments while local governments enjoyed, in Sen. Don Gaetz's (R-Crestview) words, "the days of milk and honey" — extraordinary revenue growth with little discipline. Supporters argue the amendment finally returns that windfall to families, and that capping what's left to "core services" — schools, police, fire, infrastructure — forces local governments to prioritize rather than expand. DeSantis frames a no-property-tax Florida as the next magnet for growth.
DeSantis "Save Our Homes" proposal
Against
The lost revenue — roughly $6.7B to $18.3B a year — has to come from somewhere. Jeff Scala of the Florida Association of Counties warns the plan would make Florida "more unaffordable," shifting the burden to renters and small businesses and gutting special and water-management districts. Tax Foundation economists note the state's 6% sales tax would have to climb to roughly 11–12% to backfill it, and that property taxes are among the most efficient taxes there are — the ones that actually fund the schools and safe streets that prop up home values.
Florida Phoenix · Tax Foundation analysis
Where it lands: on your November 2026 ballot — passage requires 60%.