Of course this wouldn't benefit poor people who rent houses and apartments. Their rent would still be unaffordable. They would, however, be allowed to participate in paying the increased Sales Tax. What has me confused is Sales Tax goes to the State, but Property Tax stays local. This still doesn't answer the question of who pays my fireman, policeman or librarian.
Of course it would have an impact on rentals. Property tax is one of the reasons that rents are so high. It will likely also increase the supply of rental properties.
There is a very simple answer to this question. The state will take over paying for our police, libraries, etc. What a deal! Then our wonderful legislature will have almost total control of everything that happens on the local level. What could possibly go wrong?
Aren't libraries obsolete?. Everything in a library is available online isn't it?. The cost per person served for a library is astronomical. Despite the population growth, the number of libraries has been decreasing in recent years. Has that saved any property taxes. No way. there are so many ways to spend other peoples money
What a completely moronic idea. But, put it to a vote in November, watch the electorate vote for it, and then within 2-3 years watch crime skyrocket, services diminish to nothing and choose reign in Florida.
Willing to risk it. Crime is low here because we don't have the problems that places like Illinois California and New York have. It's definitely not because we have extra police out there patrolling.
If our state legislators had made meaningful change to homeowner's insurance, they wouldn't be touting this bs. Homeowners in Florida don't have a cadre of lobbyists like the insurance companies do, so here we are.
not sure I get the connection between the article and your comment. Perhaps you mean if they had subsidized insurance then they wouldn't be able to reduce or eliminate property taxes?. Take the money you save on property taxes and apply it to insurance. Same ending
I hear a lot of concern about losing funding for police and community services, but from where I stand, those systems have never been equally invested in every community to begin with. For many of us in Black neighborhoods across Florida, we’ve watched tax dollars flow into well-kept parks, amenities, and patrol coverage elsewhere while our own areas were left under-served and over-policed at the same time.
So it’s hard to be alarmed about protecting a structure that hasn’t protected us. Real public safety isn’t just budgets — it’s consistent care, presence, and maintenance where people actually live. When that’s missing for decades, people stop believing the system belongs to them.
Eventually people recognize that neglecting one community weakens the whole state. But that lesson only lands once fairness stops being symbolic and becomes shared reality.
You’re saying I’m hurting myself by risking services. I’m saying you can’t lose what you never consistently received. For years people paid in while investment and attention showed up elsewhere, now that others fear loss, it’s suddenly a shared emergency.
“Injustice against one is injustice against all” only means something if it matters before it becomes personal. So I don’t care how those services I never got will be funded, just like you never cared that my community was not getting them. I’ll take my $4k a year property tax and serve myself and my own family.
Looks like the earlier respondents have covered the stupidity of this proposal pretty well, so my only other comment is, it’s the rapidly rising home owner’s Insurance costs that is the real burden of living in Florida.
The obvious answer to what replaces the revenue lost by lowering, or doing away with altogether, property taxes is to implement a State income tax, which is a common source of revenue for most states.
Of course a state sales tax of 20% would be another source of revenue, which might appeal to Republicans, since such costs would have the most adverse impact on the poor and working classes, a sector of the public that doesn't count for much with Republicans, until they need those people to vote for them that is.
We already have a problem with 911 on the Gold Coast. Both Broward and Palm Beach Counties historically have problems with understaffing, high turnover, increased overtime and exhaustion, extended wait times and abandoned calls leading to deaths and poor outcomes. At a time that they need to be allocating more resources, this move is likely to put us back in the dark ages.
Years ago I was a program manager at a community college, and I will never forget my boss saying to a colleague who had just proposed some ludicrously expensive equipment purchase, “Tony, do you think that money will come from the Magic Place?” I’m not thrilled with paying property taxes either, and I live in Lake County where my public library is literally the future hot dog stand at the middle school. But our state government continues to promote rampant home building with no thought to new infrastructure needs, so with no property taxes, this isn’t going to be pretty.
I’m moving. They will continue hollowing out the institutions and ignoring climate change. The state government is only interested in lining their own pockets. Socialist ideas could arguably save Florida by investing in infrastructure and education, but that’s antithetical to capitalism. The masters won’t make their profit if they treat people humanely.
Instead of doing away with property taxes the focus should be on controlling the home insurance costs. Of course this isn't looked at because of the lobbyists and deals between the
politicians and insurers. Lower taxes and lower insurance costs is the way to restore affordability
without reducing or removing necessary services. Politicians like DeSantis count on the populace to be gullible and too lazy to really look at what they are proposing. Oh, and by the way how about doing away with wasteful spending and fraud, for example the "Hope Florida"
scandal. There are no easy fixes and pie in the sky solutions, they just create new and possibly
In Florida the money to run Education comes from property taxes and sales tax. Other countries fund their education first then the rest of the goverment. this gives relevance to their depiction of how education is valuable. Any politician knows to support education for the future--but few know or are willing to admit--it is a facade for votes. Any politican using education as a platform needs to be critically held accountable. In Florida 67 countrys and 67 School districts each get funds based of population, population density, and many other variables. see at Fl.gov/education
everyone needs to know--politicians jobs do not make all people happy--best is to NOT make to many people unhappy. some decisions are hard--but reasonable. Today--all politicians are bding questions and the people should be holding them accountalbe.
Of course this wouldn't benefit poor people who rent houses and apartments. Their rent would still be unaffordable. They would, however, be allowed to participate in paying the increased Sales Tax. What has me confused is Sales Tax goes to the State, but Property Tax stays local. This still doesn't answer the question of who pays my fireman, policeman or librarian.
Of course it would have an impact on rentals. Property tax is one of the reasons that rents are so high. It will likely also increase the supply of rental properties.
There is a very simple answer to this question. The state will take over paying for our police, libraries, etc. What a deal! Then our wonderful legislature will have almost total control of everything that happens on the local level. What could possibly go wrong?
Aren't libraries obsolete?. Everything in a library is available online isn't it?. The cost per person served for a library is astronomical. Despite the population growth, the number of libraries has been decreasing in recent years. Has that saved any property taxes. No way. there are so many ways to spend other peoples money
If it’s an idea that is coming from the Republicans, forget it. You know their lying because their mouth is moving.
What a completely moronic idea. But, put it to a vote in November, watch the electorate vote for it, and then within 2-3 years watch crime skyrocket, services diminish to nothing and choose reign in Florida.
Willing to risk it. Crime is low here because we don't have the problems that places like Illinois California and New York have. It's definitely not because we have extra police out there patrolling.
I heard they were discussing raising sales and tourist tax. Desantis is sounding more and more like dear leader every day.
the dear leader does that?....really?
If our state legislators had made meaningful change to homeowner's insurance, they wouldn't be touting this bs. Homeowners in Florida don't have a cadre of lobbyists like the insurance companies do, so here we are.
not sure I get the connection between the article and your comment. Perhaps you mean if they had subsidized insurance then they wouldn't be able to reduce or eliminate property taxes?. Take the money you save on property taxes and apply it to insurance. Same ending
I hear a lot of concern about losing funding for police and community services, but from where I stand, those systems have never been equally invested in every community to begin with. For many of us in Black neighborhoods across Florida, we’ve watched tax dollars flow into well-kept parks, amenities, and patrol coverage elsewhere while our own areas were left under-served and over-policed at the same time.
So it’s hard to be alarmed about protecting a structure that hasn’t protected us. Real public safety isn’t just budgets — it’s consistent care, presence, and maintenance where people actually live. When that’s missing for decades, people stop believing the system belongs to them.
Eventually people recognize that neglecting one community weakens the whole state. But that lesson only lands once fairness stops being symbolic and becomes shared reality.
Great point but that doesn’t answer how essential services will be funded. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.
You’re saying I’m hurting myself by risking services. I’m saying you can’t lose what you never consistently received. For years people paid in while investment and attention showed up elsewhere, now that others fear loss, it’s suddenly a shared emergency.
“Injustice against one is injustice against all” only means something if it matters before it becomes personal. So I don’t care how those services I never got will be funded, just like you never cared that my community was not getting them. I’ll take my $4k a year property tax and serve myself and my own family.
Looks like the earlier respondents have covered the stupidity of this proposal pretty well, so my only other comment is, it’s the rapidly rising home owner’s Insurance costs that is the real burden of living in Florida.
The obvious answer to what replaces the revenue lost by lowering, or doing away with altogether, property taxes is to implement a State income tax, which is a common source of revenue for most states.
Of course a state sales tax of 20% would be another source of revenue, which might appeal to Republicans, since such costs would have the most adverse impact on the poor and working classes, a sector of the public that doesn't count for much with Republicans, until they need those people to vote for them that is.
We already have a problem with 911 on the Gold Coast. Both Broward and Palm Beach Counties historically have problems with understaffing, high turnover, increased overtime and exhaustion, extended wait times and abandoned calls leading to deaths and poor outcomes. At a time that they need to be allocating more resources, this move is likely to put us back in the dark ages.
Years ago I was a program manager at a community college, and I will never forget my boss saying to a colleague who had just proposed some ludicrously expensive equipment purchase, “Tony, do you think that money will come from the Magic Place?” I’m not thrilled with paying property taxes either, and I live in Lake County where my public library is literally the future hot dog stand at the middle school. But our state government continues to promote rampant home building with no thought to new infrastructure needs, so with no property taxes, this isn’t going to be pretty.
I’m moving. They will continue hollowing out the institutions and ignoring climate change. The state government is only interested in lining their own pockets. Socialist ideas could arguably save Florida by investing in infrastructure and education, but that’s antithetical to capitalism. The masters won’t make their profit if they treat people humanely.
seems like another election lie. to regret thinking it would ever happen again and again
sad really
Instead of doing away with property taxes the focus should be on controlling the home insurance costs. Of course this isn't looked at because of the lobbyists and deals between the
politicians and insurers. Lower taxes and lower insurance costs is the way to restore affordability
without reducing or removing necessary services. Politicians like DeSantis count on the populace to be gullible and too lazy to really look at what they are proposing. Oh, and by the way how about doing away with wasteful spending and fraud, for example the "Hope Florida"
scandal. There are no easy fixes and pie in the sky solutions, they just create new and possibly
worse issues.
In Florida the money to run Education comes from property taxes and sales tax. Other countries fund their education first then the rest of the goverment. this gives relevance to their depiction of how education is valuable. Any politician knows to support education for the future--but few know or are willing to admit--it is a facade for votes. Any politican using education as a platform needs to be critically held accountable. In Florida 67 countrys and 67 School districts each get funds based of population, population density, and many other variables. see at Fl.gov/education
everyone needs to know--politicians jobs do not make all people happy--best is to NOT make to many people unhappy. some decisions are hard--but reasonable. Today--all politicians are bding questions and the people should be holding them accountalbe.
Fellow SW Florida resident. Sadly, the fallout from this will be a mess. However, sometimes people need to touch the stove to learn their lesson.