Florida Groups Warn That Property Tax Reform Resolution Would Put Communities and Local Services at Risk

STATEWIDE, Fla. - Florida Policy Institute, Florida For All, and a broad coalition of groups and community members are weighing in on a property tax reform measure that would put billions in revenue at risk for counties, municipalities, and other public services.

‍SJR 2-F/HJR 1F would increase the homestead exemption to $150,000 beginning on January 1, 2027; one year later, the exemption would increase to $250,000. The proposal would also require lawmakers to put forth a schedule for full elimination of non-school property taxes on homesteads.

Numerous local services are funded by property taxes, including public schools, emergency service/EMTs, fire and police, waste management, hospitals, children’s services, libraries, and more. Recent research from the non-partisan FPI found that under the resolution’s $250,000 homestead exemption alone, counties would lose an average of $4.8 billion annually. FPI also found that the resolution’s $250,000 homestead exemption would have cost school districts an average of $5 billion annually; however, lawmakers have since amended the resolution to maintain school-levied property taxes.

The measure, which would amend Florida’s state constitution, will require a 60 percent vote on the November 2026 ballot to pass.

‍Sadaf Knight, CEO of FPI, said: “State lawmakers should be focused on real solutions to Florida's affordability issues, which include skyrocketing health care and energy costs. Unfortunately, this property tax reform measure does not represent cost savings, but rather a cost shift — one that will force local lawmakers to cut local services that families rely upon or increase other taxes and fees to make up for the missing revenue. In either case, everyday Floridians ultimately pay the price for the massive loss in property tax revenue.”

‍Nadeska Concha, communications director at Florida For All, said: “Our state has become a playground for the ultra-rich. If this legislature truly wants to provide relief for the working Floridians they were elected to serve, maybe they should consider policies like combined reporting that make the big corporations in our state pay what they owe in taxes so that all of us can get the public services we need, and a hard day's work is more than enough to earn us a good night's rest.”

‍Rev. Dr. Joe Parramore, Pastors for Florida’s Children, said: “The elimination of Florida’s property taxes is a profound moral crisis that threatens to abandon the most vulnerable members of our human family. Budget decisions are not just technical balance sheets; they are moral documents that reflect our deepest values. Eliminating this foundational funding directly starves our public hospitals, children’s services councils, and public libraries of the resources they need to heal, protect, and educate. We cannot build a just society by leaving our neighbors in the dark, denying medical care to the suffering, or neglecting our youth. I urgently call upon our lawmakers to reconsider this devastating path and follow a moral conscience that invests in human dignity rather than dismantling it.”

‍Alfred Lewers Jr., Broward County resident, retired law enforcement officer, parent, and grandparent, said: “As a retired law enforcement officer with more than 34 years of service, a parent, and a grandparent, I understand the importance of affordability for Florida families. But I also understand what happens when communities lose the funding that supports public safety, education, and essential local services. Property taxes help fund police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, schools, libraries, and youth programs that keep our communities strong and safe. Before Florida makes changes of this magnitude, families deserve to know exactly how these critical services will be protected. As a grandfather, I want to leave the next generation a Florida that is not only affordable, but also safe, educated, and prepared for the future.”

‍Maxine A. Lewers, president of Florida PTA, said: “Florida PTA believes that strong schools don't happen by accident. They happen when communities choose to invest in children. Property taxes are not just dollars collected, they are investments in opportunity, achievement, and the future of every child.”

‍Nina Perez, Florida state director of MomsRising and its Spanish-language arm, MamásConPoder, said: “Moms across Florida oppose this short-sighted resolution, which would threaten the economic security of millions of families in our state. By jeopardizing funding for the local childcare match and the after-school programs working families rely on, it would cause real harm to children, families, businesses, and our state’s economy. Florida moms urge Floridians to reject this irresponsible measure.”

‍Jonathan Webber, Florida policy director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said: “Countless Florida families rely on the public facilities and neighborhood programs that serve the unique needs of their communities. Removing the public funding source for our libraries, childcare and other critical services directly threaten the quality of life of so many. The Florida Legislature has sixty days each year to pass legislation to make Florida more affordable. To bring this ballot question to voters in a special session is an admission that the legislature is devoid of solutions to address the affordability crisis facing our state; it is a distraction from the real issues of the rising cost of rent, food, property insurance and more. I am confident voters will reject this proposal that strip vital services and demand lawmakers refocus their efforts on actual solutions.”

‍Martha Baker, RN, president of SEIU Florida State Council and president of SEIU 1991, said: “As an intensive care nurse, I know how much our community depends on property-tax funded public hospitals like Jackson, which provides lifesaving care regardless of a person's ability to pay. Miami-Dade voters have repeatedly chosen to invest in that mission, and lawmakers shouldn't jeopardize healthcare access, Medicaid funding, or thousands of healthcare jobs by rushing into a plan that hasn't even been fully studied. Eliminating property taxes doesn’t make the costs of healthcare, and other essential services disappear- it shifts those costs onto working families and puts critical public services at risk.”

‍Moné Holder, chief advocacy & political officer at Florida Rising, said: “This proposal would strip billions of dollars from the revenue that cities and counties rely on to fund essential services, forcing local governments to make impossible choices. Floridians deserve real tax relief, but this amendment offers no credible plan to replace those lost funds. Instead, it risks creating an economic bait-and-switch: delivering the biggest benefits to wealthy property owners, out-of-state corporate landlords, and large commercial interests while shifting costs onto working families through higher fees, sales taxes, and reduced public services. We call on Florida voters to reject this reckless proposal and focus on real, measurable solutions that lower costs, strengthen communities, and address the affordability challenges facing everyday Floridians.”

‍Muahbohn Dahn, education justice organizer at Florida Student Power, said: “Young people in Florida are too often left out of this conversation, but we have just as much at stake. Young people deserve affordable housing and well-funded community services and hope to one day exist in an economy that allows us to be homeowners as well. We want affordability as much as anyone, but pulling billions out of our schools, hospitals, and safety net every year doesn't make Florida more livable for our youth.”

Florida Groups Warn That Property Tax Reform Resolution Would Put Communities and Local Services at Risk

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Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

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