BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Governor Ron DeSantis is calling a special session of the Florida Legislature for the week of June 1 to take up a proposed constitutional amendment that would deliver sweeping property tax relief to Florida homeowners. The plan, which DeSantis is calling “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes,” would immediately increase the homestead exemption and set a path toward eliminating homestead property taxes altogether.
DeSantis framed the push as a response to surging local government tax collections, which have nearly doubled over the past seven years — climbing from $32 billion to $60 billion — and are projected to hit $83 billion by 2032. “Florida homeowners need relief,” DeSantis said Tuesday in Tampa. “Now is the time to stand up for taxpayers, enact a historic reform, and save the home of every Floridian.”
The proposal announced in Tampa on Wednesday has five main components. First, it would exempt the first $250,000 of a homestead’s assessed value from taxation, with a required legislative schedule for full elimination. Second, it would restrict local governments to using any remaining property tax revenue only for core services like public safety, schools, infrastructure, and natural resources. Third, it would cap future property tax assessment increases on small businesses. Fourth, it would require anyone who establishes Florida residency after January 1, 2027, to maintain that residency for up to five years before qualifying for the increased homestead exemption. And fifth, it would create a state trust fund to provide grants to local governments to help them continue core services amid the revenue changes.
If approved during the special session, the constitutional amendment would go before Florida voters this fall. A constitutional amendment in Florida requires approval by at least 60 percent of voters to take effect.
The Florida Policy Institute opposes the plan, issuing this statement: ““Eliminating all property taxes on homesteads would represent nothing more than a cost shift — one that leaves a gaping hole across local budgets, including counties, cities, and school districts, while forcing local lawmakers to choose between cutting critical services, raising local taxes and fees to make up for the missing revenue, or acting on a combination of these options. Rural communities in Florida would be especially affected.”
