Florida Lawmakers Send Sweeping Property Tax Cut to November Ballot After Special Session

The Florida Legislature on Tuesday approved a sweeping property tax relief proposal championed by Governor Ron DeSantis, sending a proposed constitutional amendment to the November 3 general election ballot. The measure, branded by the governor as Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes, would dramatically expand the homestead exemption available to Florida homeowners while deliberately carving out school district funding from the cuts. Because it would alter the state constitution rather than ordinary statute, the proposal now rests with voters, who must approve it by a supermajority before any of its provisions can take hold.

Lawmakers acted during a special session that DeSantis called for the week of June 1, compressing debate over a far-reaching fiscal change into a matter of days. The Senate cleared the proposal on a 30 to 9 vote, while the House approved it 75 to 26, margins comfortable enough to advance the question but accompanied by pointed dissent from members worried about the effect on local budgets. Florida law requires 60 percent approval at the ballot box for a constitutional amendment to take effect, a threshold that sets a high bar for passage in November.

For homeowners across the state, the stakes are immediate and personal. Property taxes fund the local governments, school districts, and special districts that pave roads, staff fire stations, run libraries, and operate classrooms. The proposal reshapes how much of a primary residence's value is shielded from those levies, and it sets up one of the most consequential ballot questions Floridians will face this fall, with potential savings for households balanced against the revenue concerns of the cities and counties that rely on the tax.

What the amendment would do

Under the plan, Florida would create a new homestead exemption of $150,000 beginning in 2027, rising to $250,000 in 2028 and then adjusted annually for inflation thereafter. That represents a substantial increase over the current exemption structure, which shields a far smaller slice of a primary residence from taxation and has not kept pace with the rapid run-up in home values across the state over the past several years.

Crucially, the expanded exemption would not apply to school district taxes. School levies make up a large share of most Florida property tax bills, so insulating them from the cut is designed to protect education funding even as homeowners see relief on the county and municipal portions of their bills. State leaders framed that carve-out as a way to deliver meaningful savings to families without gutting classroom budgets that depend on a stable property tax base.

The proposal also includes provisions restricting remaining property tax revenue to core government services, including public safety, education, infrastructure, and natural resources. It would impose a waiting period of up to five years before certain new Florida residents could qualify for the enhanced homestead exemption, a feature aimed at directing the largest benefits toward established homeowners. DeSantis has described the package as a first step toward an eventual goal of eliminating homestead property taxes through general law over time.

How the special session unfolded

DeSantis announced the special session and unveiled the Save Our Homes framework as his top priority, describing it as a historic effort to provide relief to homeowners who have watched assessed values and tax bills climb year after year. The session was structured to move quickly, with the governor and legislative leaders aligned on the broad goal even as members negotiated the details of exemption levels, the school carve-out, and the residency waiting period.

The compressed timeline drew both praise and criticism. Supporters argued that Floridians need relief now, pointing to a housing market in which rising values have pushed taxable assessments higher and squeezed household budgets already strained by insurance and other costs. Opponents questioned whether such a significant constitutional change deserved more deliberation, and they raised concerns about the long-term effect on local governments that would have to absorb the lost revenue or curtail services.

Business groups, real estate organizations, and taxpayer advocates weighed in throughout the session. The Florida Realtors association tracked the debate closely given the measure's direct bearing on homeownership costs and the housing market, while local government associations warned that counties and cities would need to plan carefully for any revenue shifts that follow voter approval. The speed of the process left advocacy groups racing to analyze the fiscal impacts in real time.

What it means for Floridians

If voters approve the amendment, a typical homestead owner could see meaningful savings on the non-school portion of their tax bill once the higher exemptions phase in during 2027 and 2028. The exact dollar figure would vary widely by county, by local millage rates, and by the assessed value of each home, so the benefit will look very different in high-value coastal markets like Miami-Dade than it does in smaller-bill counties across the Panhandle and rural interior.

The five-year waiting period for some newcomers means the relief is tilted toward longtime residents, a recurring theme in Florida tax policy as the state continues to absorb steady in-migration from other parts of the country. For families who have owned and homesteaded a property for years, the change is structured to deliver a larger and more durable benefit, reinforcing the advantages that established residents already enjoy under the existing Save Our Homes assessment cap.

At the same time, the school district carve-out limits how deep the cut can go for any individual homeowner. Because school taxes remain fully in place, residents should not expect their entire bill to shrink. The savings would apply to the county, city, and special district lines on the bill, which together can still represent a sizable share of the total, but the school portion will continue at current levels regardless of the outcome.

Reaction from across the aisle

The party-line tilt of the votes reflected a broader divide over the wisdom of locking a major tax change into the constitution. Republican supporters cast the measure as overdue relief that returns money to families and forces local governments to prioritize essential services. They argued that years of rising values amounted to an automatic tax increase that lawmakers had a duty to address.

Many Democrats and some local officials warned that the cuts could starve cities and counties of revenue they use for police, fire, parks, and infrastructure, particularly in communities with limited commercial tax bases to fall back on. Critics also questioned the fairness of a waiting period that treats new residents differently and the wisdom of enshrining fiscal policy in the constitution, where it is difficult to adjust if circumstances change.

Outside groups are already mobilizing for the campaign ahead. Homeowner and taxpayer organizations are expected to champion the measure, while associations representing local governments and public employees are likely to scrutinize its budget effects. With the 60 percent threshold in play, both sides understand that the November outcome is far from certain and will hinge on how voters weigh personal savings against community services.

Local impact across the state

County commissioners and city councils across Florida will be watching the November vote closely, because their budgets are built on property tax projections years in advance. Fast-growing counties have leaned on rising taxable values to fund expanding services for new residents, and a larger exemption could force harder choices about spending priorities, reserve levels, and millage rates if the revenue base contracts.

Coastal communities that already face high insurance and infrastructure costs may feel the squeeze differently than inland or rural counties with smaller and less diversified tax bases. Local officials in tourism-dependent regions, where seasonal populations strain services without contributing homestead taxes, will need to model how the exemption interacts with their unique revenue mix and whether they must lean more heavily on other sources.

For now, the practical effect on local services would not begin until the exemptions take hold in 2027, giving governments a planning window if voters say yes. That lead time is one reason supporters argue the phase-in approach is responsible rather than abrupt, allowing local budget writers to adjust gradually rather than confront a sudden shortfall in a single fiscal year.

How the measure fits Florida's tax history

Florida has a long tradition of using the constitution to shape property taxation, most notably through the Save Our Homes assessment cap approved by voters decades ago, which limits how quickly the assessed value of a homesteaded property can rise each year. The new proposal builds on that legacy, layering a much larger exemption on top of existing protections and continuing the state's reliance on ballot measures to deliver tax relief directly to homeowners.

Because the state has no personal income tax, property and sales taxes carry much of the burden of funding government in Florida, which makes any change to the property tax especially consequential. Supporters argue that returning money to homeowners reflects the state's low-tax philosophy, while critics warn that shifting the balance too far could force local governments to lean harder on fees and other revenue sources to maintain services.

What is next

The proposal now becomes a campaign. Expect an intense statewide debate through the summer and fall as supporters tout household savings and opponents press on the potential effect on local services. With the 60 percent threshold required for passage, both sides know that turnout and persuasion will be decisive, and that the measure could rise or fall on how clearly voters understand its phase-in and its limits.

Voters will also be weighing the amendment alongside the broader 2026 election, which features statewide and legislative contests as well as the race to succeed DeSantis as governor. The property tax question is likely to feature prominently in those races, with candidates staking out positions for and against the change and using it to draw contrasts on taxes and the size of government.

Floridians who want to understand the measure's effect on their own bills should review their most recent property tax statement, identify the school versus non-school portions, and follow guidance from their county property appraiser as the campaign unfolds. The decision, and the dollars attached to it, will ultimately rest with voters on November 3, when the fate of one of the most ambitious tax changes in recent Florida history will be settled at the ballot box.