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By Jasmine Laws
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that "we're going to have some good proposals about property taxes" while speaking at the Forum Club of Southwest Florida in Naples on Monday.
"We need to stand for taxpayers and we're going to do that," he said. "I've got different ways that I think we're going to do something very meaningful."
DeSantis did not detail what the proposals would look like.
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Why It Matters
There has been ongoing discussions regarding property taxes in Florida, most notably around DeSantis looking to completely eliminate them while lawmakers have suggested a more phased approach in different ballot initiatives.
Florida's average property tax rate is not as high as other states. Based on 2025 data collected by the Tax Foundation, the average property taxes paid as a percentage of owner-occupied housing value in 2023 was about 0.74 percent. Illinois had the highest rate of 1.83 percent.
However, eliminating property tax in the state could have notable ripple effects, as Florida’s tax on real property makes up about 18 percent of county revenue, 17 percent of municipal revenue and 50-60 percent of school district revenue, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
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What To Know
On Monday, DeSantis was discussing what his plans were for the state going forward, after recounting his successes in the role so far, and said: "The only thing I will say right now is that when I became governor, local governments brought in 32 billion dollars in property tax revenue. This year it's going to be 60 billion dollars.
"So don't tell me that you can't do property tax. In fact, if you just adjust it for population growth and inflation, that $32 billion would be about $44 billion."
DeSantis has said that property taxes are like "paying rent to the government," a comment that suggested he is looking to eliminate property taxes altogether.
A number of proposals regarding property taxes have been put forward, but none have proposed their outright elimination, potentially because eliminating the taxes could be difficult as the revenue funds a significant proportion of K-12 education in the state, but DeSantis has said that the state has enough in excess funds to cover the costs.
The closest proposal to what DeSantis appears to be looking for is the joint state Senate resolution, known as HJR 201, which proposes the elimination of non-school property taxes for homesteads. That could reduce Floridians' property taxes by about 55-60 percent, according to the Florida real estate law firm Barnes Walker, but it would not eliminate them entirely.
What People Are Saying
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on X: "For more than 40 years, the Forum Club of Southwest Florida has convened leaders from business, politics and the community to discuss the most pressing issues of the day. It was my pleasure to outline how we have delivered on our campaign promises across a range of issues, including education, crime, immigration, environment and fiscal responsibility."
Andrea Heuson, a professor of finance and academic director of Real Estate Programs at the University of Miami, told Newsweek: "I think the big issues facing home buyers in Florida have to do with home affordability rather than property taxes. There is not a lot of vacant land around many of our major metropolitan areas so even starter homes are expensive, especially if they are single family homes. In our state, the rate of increase in the value of your house does not impact your property tax basis, the rate of increase in the taxable basis is limited to the rate of inflation or 3 percent, whichever is lower. And our property tax millage rates are very low compared to other states.
"If property taxes are reduced, there will be less money for schools and road repairs and transit upgrades, which frightens me. There is a movement here to privatize more and more of the public school system through charter schools, so I don't think the governor is worried about less money for schools. He may be worried about a backlash if the road system falls into disrepair. Many areas of Florida, including Miami, have many more cars on the roads than they were designed for.
"The optics of removing or reducing property taxes are very positive politically, though. One plan I have heard of that might make more sense is that every homeowner has a homestead exemption on the taxable value of their primary residence. That would be a more rational way to give homeowners a break on their taxes and would probably not reduce school and transit budgets by as much as cutting the overall tax rate."
What Happens Next
As there seems to be some disparity between what the governor is signaling and what lawmakers are proposing, it is difficult to know what will happen next for property taxes in the state.
As Florida's 60-day legislation session began on January 13, more clarity on what will happen to property taxes in the state could become clearer in the coming weeks.
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