Property Taxes

The new PAC plans to help educate the public and elected officials of the implications if the referendum to cut property taxes statewide passes in November.

DeSantis said Monday he will vote for the ballot item regarding homestead property taxes, but “what the Legislature did wasn't my proposal.”

If passed, the state's mosquito control districts that rely on ad valorem taxes could lose a third of their funding, according to the Florida Mosquito Control Association.

The overhaul would also restrict how local property taxes can be spent and make it harder for local governments to replace the lost revenue.

This week on a special edition of "The Florida Roundup" live from Fort Myers, we spoke with Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter about the potential impacts of the property tax proposal. We also spoke with FGCU’s Shawn Felton about a regional initiative to increase the healthspan of Southwest Floridians.

The bills are designed to make it harder for city and county governments to hike property taxes and require them to post more information online about their budgets.

County officials say some services might have to be cut and other fees raised if voters pass the referendum on November's ballot.

Real estate professionals gathered for Hillsborough's annual State of the Market event. Some criticized the state property tax amendment on November's ballot.

Local officials say an effort by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to cut property taxes could be a knockout punch amid efforts by the state to erode home rule, strip power away from local governments and shift crucial community decisions up to Tallahassee.

This week on "The Florida Roundup," we checked in with reporters from across the state to look at how the 2026 Florida midterms are shaping up. Plus, we looked at a legal challenge to the property tax ballot amendment and took a closer look at its language.

Under state law, Attorney General James Uthmeier would be required to amend the ballot summary if it is found to be defective.

A CRA board vote scheduled for Thursday could be pushed back to July 23. Meantime, the Rays will meet with Drew Park residents on Wednesday, who have complained about being left out of the discussions.