DeSantis Pushes 'Save Our Homes' Property Tax Elimination as Florida Sets Up November Ballot Fight

Governor Ron DeSantis has placed the elimination of property taxes on owner-occupied homes at the center of Florida's political agenda, championing a 'Save Our Homes' proposal that would phase out the levies most Florida families pay every year on their primary residences. After a special session focused on property tax relief, the Florida Legislature has cleared a constitutional amendment that will go before voters in November 2026, setting up one of the most consequential ballot questions the state has faced in years.

The push reframes a debate that has simmered for more than a decade in a state where rising home values have driven assessments and tax bills steadily higher. For homeowners who have watched insurance premiums and living costs climb, the prospect of erasing a major recurring expense is politically potent. For the local governments that depend on property taxes to fund schools, police, fire service and roads, the proposal raises urgent questions about how those services would be paid for if the revenue disappears.

What was proposed

The governor's office has framed the 'Save Our Homes' concept as a path toward eliminating, or sharply reducing, property taxes on homesteaded properties, the homes Floridians live in as their permanent residence. The branding echoes Florida's existing Save Our Homes provision, which already caps how quickly the assessed value of a homestead can rise each year. The new proposal goes much further, aiming at the tax itself rather than just the rate of growth in assessments.

During the special session devoted to property tax relief, lawmakers advanced a constitutional amendment for the 2026 general election ballot. Because Florida's constitution governs how property is taxed, any structural change of this magnitude must be approved by voters, and constitutional amendments in Florida require approval by 60 percent of those casting ballots. That high threshold means the measure will need broad, bipartisan support to take effect.

Supporters describe the plan as the logical next step in a multiyear effort to ease the cost of living in Florida. They argue that homeowners who have already paid off a mortgage should not face what amounts to a permanent annual charge simply for owning the roof over their heads, and that eliminating the tax would help older residents on fixed incomes stay in their homes.

The Florida context

Property taxes in Florida are levied locally, not by the state. County commissions, city councils, school boards and special districts set their own millage rates, and the money collected stays local. That structure is central to the debate, because eliminating or capping the homestead tax would directly reduce the budgets of the governments closest to residents.

The timing comes as Florida lawmakers finalized a state budget of roughly $114.5 billion for the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year, a spending plan that increased funding for public schools and raised investment in teacher salaries. State leaders have pointed to that budget as evidence the state can afford to give taxpayers relief while still funding core priorities, though the state budget and local property tax revenue are separate pots of money.

Florida has leaned heavily on tax relief as a governing theme. The state has no personal income tax, and leaders have repeatedly highlighted sales tax holidays, toll relief and insurance reforms. A move against property taxes fits that pattern, but it is far larger in scope than the temporary measures that have come before, because property taxes are the single largest source of locally controlled revenue in the state.

Reaction across the state

The proposal has drawn enthusiasm from many homeowners and from groups that favor lower taxes, who see it as overdue relief in a state where housing affordability has become a defining concern. For a household facing a four or five figure annual tax bill, elimination would represent real money returned to the family budget every year.

City and county officials, along with school district leaders, have expressed caution. Local governments rely on property taxes to fund the services residents use most, and many officials have warned that the lost revenue would have to be replaced somehow, whether through higher sales taxes, new fees or cuts to services. School funding is a particular flashpoint, because a significant share of property tax revenue flows to public education.

Budget analysts have noted that the details matter enormously. A full elimination of homestead property taxes would remove billions of dollars from local budgets statewide, while a more limited version, such as a larger exemption or a cap, would have a smaller but still significant effect. The exact wording voters see on the ballot, and any implementing legislation that follows, will determine the real world impact.

What it means for Floridians

For homeowners, the appeal is straightforward. Eliminating property taxes on a primary residence would reduce the cost of homeownership at a time when insurance, utilities and maintenance costs have all risen. Retirees and longtime residents who have seen their assessed values climb could benefit the most, since they often hold their homes the longest.

For renters, the picture is less clear. Renters do not pay property taxes directly, though landlords often pass those costs along through rent. Whether eliminating the tax on owner-occupied homes would ease rents is uncertain, and the proposal as framed centers on homesteaded properties rather than rental or commercial property.

There is also the question of how local services would be sustained. Police and fire departments, road maintenance, parks and public schools are all funded substantially by property taxes. If the revenue is removed without a clear replacement, residents could see pressure to raise other taxes or reduce services, which means the net benefit to any given household depends heavily on the offsets that accompany the change.

The road to November

Because the measure is a proposed constitutional amendment, it now moves toward the November 2026 general election ballot, where it will need 60 percent voter approval to pass. That sets up a months long campaign in which supporters and opponents will make their cases to Florida voters about the tradeoffs involved.

Expect the debate to focus on specifics. Voters will want to know exactly which properties would be affected, whether the change is a full elimination or a partial reduction, how schools and local governments would be funded, and when any relief would take effect. The clarity of the ballot language and the accompanying explanations will shape how the measure is received.

Political observers see the property tax question as a likely centerpiece of the 2026 election cycle in Florida, a year that will also feature races up and down the ballot. A proposal that touches nearly every homeowner in the state is the kind of issue that drives turnout and frames campaigns.

How Florida got here

The current debate did not emerge overnight. Florida's property tax system has been shaped by decades of voter approved measures, beginning with the original Save Our Homes amendment that capped annual increases in the assessed value of homesteaded properties. That cap protected longtime homeowners from runaway assessments during periods of rapid appreciation, but it also created disparities between newer and longer term owners and did nothing to address the underlying tax itself.

Over the years, lawmakers have layered on additional exemptions and adjustments, including a portability provision allowing homeowners to carry accumulated assessment savings from one home to another. Each change addressed a piece of the puzzle without altering the basic structure in which local governments levy taxes on property to fund their operations. The new elimination proposal represents a far more sweeping departure from that incremental history.

The political momentum behind the idea has built alongside a broader affordability crisis that has reshaped Florida's economy. As home prices surged and insurance costs climbed, property taxes became one more pressure point for households, and elected officials responded to mounting frustration. The governor's decision to call a special session specifically focused on property tax relief signaled how central the issue has become to the state's political agenda.

The questions that remain unanswered

For all the attention the proposal has received, significant questions remain about how it would work in practice. Chief among them is the precise scope of the relief: whether it would fully eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties or instead provide a larger exemption or a tighter cap. The difference is enormous in fiscal terms, with full elimination removing billions of dollars from local budgets and a more modest reform having a smaller effect.

Equally important is the question of replacement revenue. If the homestead property tax is eliminated or sharply reduced, local governments and school districts would need another way to fund the services that property taxes currently support. Whether that comes through state backfill, higher sales taxes, new fees or service reductions will determine the real impact on residents, and the answer has not been spelled out in detail.

Implementation timing is another open issue. A change of this magnitude could be phased in gradually to give local governments time to adjust, or it could take effect more quickly, with sharper budgetary consequences. The structure of any implementing legislation that follows voter approval would shape how the transition unfolds and how disruptive it might be to local services.

What's next

In the coming months, state agencies and local governments are expected to produce analyses of how the proposal would affect budgets, and advocacy groups on both sides will mobilize. Homeowners can expect a steady stream of information as the campaign develops, and should pay close attention to the precise terms of the amendment rather than the headline promise of eliminating a tax.

For now, the key facts are settled. The governor has made property tax elimination a signature priority, the Legislature has advanced a constitutional amendment through a special session, and the final decision rests with Florida voters in November. Whatever the outcome, the campaign will force a statewide reckoning over how Florida pays for the local services its residents rely on, and how it balances tax relief against the cost of running cities, counties and schools.

Floridians who want to weigh in will have their chance at the ballot box. Until then, the proposal stands as a bold bet that voters will embrace the idea of erasing one of the largest recurring bills of homeownership, even as local leaders press for answers about what would take its place.