POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — On Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced a new online platform designed to help homeowners estimate savings from his proposed property tax initiative, dubbed ‘Save Our Homes.’
This website launch is strategically timed, as it precedes a special legislative session on Monday. This session, called by Gov. DeSantis, aims to persuade lawmakers to consider a constitutional amendment supporting the property tax proposal.
During a visit to Tampa on Wednesday, DeSantis detailed the plan, stating, “We’re starting with an increase in the homestead limit to $250,000 for all Florida homeowners, with a mandate for the legislature to develop a phased plan leading to the complete removal of the homestead limit.”
The website features a calculator where residents can enter their property address to receive an estimated savings amount should the proposal be enacted.
In Bartow, locals have already begun using the tool to check potential savings and have shared their findings.
“You can save an extra…$1,064 a year! That’s a month’s worth of groceries for anyone,” Caleb Hayes said. “I grew up in upstate New York, and the taxes there were horrible. Coming to Florida, we’re like, ‘Wow, you get a little bit of a break.’ This would actually help the common person out tremendously.”
Victor Quinones found out he’d have the chance to save $3,766.
“It’s pretty good. I mean, I’m not going to complain about it,” Quinones said. “With gas prices and everything, food prices, this is great.”
The launch comes as county and city officials across Florida raise concerns about how local governments would replace lost revenue if property taxes are reduced or eliminated.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch told News Channel 8 that he’s discussed the matter with legislators recently.
“During the legislative session, we talked to our legislators, told them we use the bulk of our property taxes for police and fire, and they know that,” Welch said. “It’s going to be a tough lift for us if that passes.”
Gov. DeSantis touched on funding for local governments on Wednesday.
“We think that there’s too much revenue going from taxpayers to these local governments doesn’t mean they don’t need anything,” DeSantis said. “Obviously, you’ve got to run services, but all the time the taxpayers having to pay more and more for basically the same level of services that they would’ve gotten 10 years ago with their property tax bill was a lot less.”
According to the state’s website, the proposed plan would “create a state trust fund to assist with core local services,” but did not detail how.
Both Hayes and Quinones acknowledged the uncertainty of how essential services would be funded if property tax revenue is reduced.
“It’s going to be made up, we don’t know exactly what it’s going to be made up as of yet,” Hayes said.
“Yeah, it’s got to be made up somewhere, but I don’t know where it’s going to come from,” Quinones added.
If the constitutional amendment advances through the legislature, it would be placed on the ballot for Florida’s general election in November, where voters would ultimately decide its fate.