Floridians Need Real Relief, Not Rushed Plans that Harm Local Services

Florida’s families are struggling to make ends meet, which is why eliminating homeowners’ property taxes may sound appealing. However, for too many families, owning a home is out of reach due to low and stagnant wages, and for homeowners, out-of-control homeowners’ insurance is the pressing issue. The governor’s tax proposal will likely not provide the relief Florida’s families need and may, in fact, hurt the quality of life in their communities and the programs they count on. This proposal is simply a tax shift, as costs for public goods for our local communities will still have to be paid for by taxpayers.

The decision to exclude already critically underfunded schools from this proposal is a major one. But it’s just as important to remember that public schools depend on the strength of the communities around them. Without safe roads, parks, beaches, or reliable first emergency services, our children and families cannot thrive. Even if public schools may not be directly impacted, the potential loss of funding for other essential services—like after-school care, libraries, and community resources—will still harm families and students. We know the damage done when a community loses its public school. But if every supporting community service disappears, what happens to the public school and the families it serves then?

Phasing out homestead property taxes would strip local communities of critical revenue, worsen instability for families, and put the public services our families and students need at immediate risk. Without a guaranteed, permanent replacement, this isn’t just a small budget adjustment. It is a major structural change to how Florida funds public safety, infrastructure, and other essential local services, and hands over local control of municipal affairs to the state. Since voters will ultimately decide, it’s crucial they get a comprehensive and transparent picture of the potential impacts, both intended and unintended, that these changes could have on their communities and quality of life.

Florida families are being squeezed by real costs. The answer is not to destabilize communities or put local services at the mercy of political decisions in Tallahassee—especially at a time when Floridians are struggling with out-of-control homeowners’ and renters’ insurance rates, crises lawmakers have failed to address effectively. Florida needs real affordability solutions, like capping insurance rate hikes and taxing insurance corporations’ excess profits, that lower costs for families while protecting the core services our communities rely on.