Gov. Ron DeSantis has said for months that eliminating property taxes is very important to him. But he hasn’t rolled out specific plans for a constitutional amendment, even though the 2026 Session begins in weeks. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins says that’s because what DeSantis wants isn’t ready to roll out just yet. “DeSantis will roll out his proposal when he’s ready and at the appropriate time, and those facts and details will be laid out,” Collins said in Jacksonville. Collins, a former Senator from Tampa who was appointed as a replacement for former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, said two weeks ago DeSantis was “being diligent and dotting the I’s, crossing the T’s, and making sure that all the second-, third-, and fourth-order effects are thought about and taken care of.” Apparently, the diligence continues. House Speaker Daniel Perez last month unveiled eight potential constitutional amendments that, if OK’d in the Legislature in the coming Session, would go directly to voters for possible approval in the 2026 election. A House committee will mull those provisions in a meeting Thursday. But Collins says they are nonstarters as voters and lawmakers would be flummoxed. “Guys, it’s very confusing. When a bill like that goes forward and you have multiple proposals, it confuses the Legislature, it confuses the people on the ballot. Let’s do one,” he said. He also suggested that multiple proposals are arguably un-American. “The last I checked, this is the United States. This is the state of Florida, and we don’t back away from what’s hard. Aim for what’s at the top of the ladder. Aim for the precipice. Everybody I talk to believes in the American dream. Part of that American dream, that experience is owning your own home, and having it free and clear of the government,” he said. “Getting rid of property tax on homesteaded properties, that’s what our people want.” As a reminder, here are the House proposals: HJR 201 by Rep. Kevin Steele: Eliminates non-school homestead property taxes outright. If approved, homeowners would no longer pay city/county non-school levies on their primary residence. HJR 203 by Rep. Monique Miller: Phases out non-school homestead property taxes over 10 years by adding a new $100,000 exemption each year to a homeowner’s non-school tax base. After a decade, the non-school portion on homesteads would be fully exempted. HJR 205 by Rep. Juan Porras: Exempts Florida residents over 65 from paying non-school homestead property taxes. HJR 207 by Rep. Shane Abbott: Creates a new homestead exemption for non-school taxes equal to 25% of a home’s assessed value. This broad exemption would cut bills for current homeowners and aid first-time buyers entering the market. HJR 209 by Rep. Demi Busatta: Establishes a property insurance relief homestead exemption by granting an additional $100,000 non-school exemption to homestead owners who maintain property insurance, linking relief to insured, more resilient homes. HJR 211 by Rep. Toby Overdorf: Eliminates the cap on “portability” of Save Our Homes (SOH) benefits, allowing homeowners to transfer their accumulated SOH differential to a new primary residence, even when the replacement home is of lesser value, thereby preserving long-built tax savings. HJR 213 by Rep. Griff Griffitts: Slows the growth in the assessed value of non-school homestead property taxes to 3% over three years for homestead property (currently it’s 3% per year) and 15% over three years for non-homestead property (currently at 10% per year).
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/766185-jay-collins-says-gov-desantis-still-doesnt-have-a-property-tax-cut-proposal-ready-to-launch/