Tensions continue in Tallahassee as lawmakers argue over budget spending and tax proposals.
The Florida House of Representatives wants to cut the sales tax. But Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for property tax relief. The Senate has voiced concerns about how across-the-board tax cuts could impact project budget shortfalls in the future.
The governor called the plan to reduce the state's sales tax rate something "nobody is asking for" and said he would veto anything resembling it. He also declined a request to speak at a property tax hearing in the House earlier this month.
The legislative session, which was supposed to end on May 2, was extended to June 6 to finish the budget and address specific bills. The House has since voted to extend it to June 30, though the Senate has not followed suit. The next fiscal year starts on July 1, so if the budget is not finalized by then, the state risks a government shutdown.
Your Florida asked people around the state to share their thoughts on the squabbling and delays.
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Reform property taxes
Timothy Eldred in Panama City said reducing property taxes would be the best option because not all homeowners use the services the taxes pay for, like public schools.
While some sales tax revenue also goes to schools, about 50% to 60% of school districts' revenue comes from local property taxes.
"You're paying taxes for everybody else's children," he said. "And then when your children grow up and you still have the property, you're still going to pay taxes on that property for everybody else's children that you don't even have anymore."
If lawmakers eliminate the property tax, they'd need to raise about $43 billion (or $2,015 per capita) to maintain the services the taxes pay for, according to a report by the Florida Policy Institute.
"[Property] tax has proved remarkably resilient and capable of being tailored to local interests, and it survives as the most important source of revenue in local governments primarily because of its stability," the report said.
The James Madison Institute, a conservative think tank, recently published a survey of 1,200 Florida voters. About 46% said if given a choice, they would prefer property taxes to be eliminated, compared to 32% of respondents who said they would like to see a reduction in the state sales tax.
However, in a follow-up question, 60% said they were "very or somewhat concerned" about potential cuts to local services if lawmakers eliminated property taxes.
Lower sales tax rate
But some folks, like Sara Schaeffer in St. Petersburg, said more people would benefit from sales tax cuts since not everyone owns a home.
"Knowing that property is not is not affordable to everybody right now, it seems like that's stacking the deck or giving more benefits to folks that are already invested," she said. "I would probably be more inclined for lowering the sales tax."
Schaeffer said it's disappointing to see legislators delay budget talks.
"Is there recourse? How can I help? Or, how could I signal [to lawmakers] that I want this forward progress and working across the aisles to bridge some of those things," she said.
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Nancy Wear in Miami said she doesn't really agree with either reduction in taxes. But if she had to choose, it would be to lower the sales tax.
"It wasn't necessary," she said. "I don't think there was any public outcry in that — objecting to the sales taxes."
Donna Longhouse, also from St. Petersburg, said that there is no excuse for lawmakers delaying the budget. Longhouse said if she had to choose between the two, she'd also prefer to lower the sales tax.
"But my opinion is [lawmakers] are missing the point," she said. "That's not the point at all that they should be addressing."
Fix property insurance instead
Some people, like Longhouse, said elected officials should pivot their attention to the property insurance crisis and address the high premiums, limited coverage and lack of transparency.
"I mean for 50 years, the legislature has needed to address the insurance problem in Florida, and their unwillingness to address it is beyond frustrating," she said. "Because no one can say with a straight face that hurricanes are going to get better or that they're going to be fewer of them. It's simply not true."
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It's also something Lisa Ferguson in Orlando has struggled with.
"I believe in funding our public services, and so don't touch my property taxes," Ferguson said. "They're not the issue."
Ferguson's insurance premiums more than doubled in the past few years, she said.
The online insurance premium comparing tool Insurify named Florida the most expensive state for home insurance this year, showing the average annual cost for coverage as $14,140 per household.
Bills related to property insurance died during the 60-day session earlier this year, and lawmakers have not indicated they will take up this issue in the coming weeks.
Concerns with any tax relief
Milagros "Millie" Reynoso is a small business owner in Tampa. She is torn on tax relief. She said both options will have negative impacts, "like damned if you do, damned if you don't."
"There's always a catch to it, and it's going to hurt somebody else," she said. "Whether it's the sales tax thing or the property tax thing, I don't want to be part [of it]. I don't agree with it."
Adam Peters in St. Petersburg said he's concerned that legislators may cut revenue streams on the heels of hurricane season, which starts June 1.
"It makes me really, really, really, really, really, I cannot stress this enough, really nervous that a time when we're going to need more money to help people through natural disasters and through potentially shortages of supplies and food and necessities that we're talking about lowering our ability to do that through whatever tax cuts that ends up being,” he said.
The legislature plans to reconvene after Memorial Day to continue work on the budget.
You can connect with Meghan Bowman at bowman4@wusf.org.
If you have any questions about the state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
