Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Tuesday he will ask voters in November 2026 to abolish property taxes for homeowners, a sweeping proposal that would eliminate the primary funding source for schools, police, and fire departments statewide.
Voters must approve the constitutional amendment with a 60% supermajority.
“Your personal home — you shouldn’t rent it from the government; you should own it,” DeSantis said on Fox News, adding that both the Florida House and Senate back the initiative.
The amendment applies only to primary residences. Vacation homes, rental properties, and commercial real estate would continue paying property taxes. DeSantis argues homeowners should not pay escalating tax bills when property values rise but owners have not sold.
The plan faces formidable obstacles. Property taxes generate between $43 billion and $55 billion annually in Florida. Schools depend on property taxes for 73% of their revenue. The money also funds police, fire departments, roads, and other essential services.
House Speaker Daniel Perez convened a 37-member select committee to examine alternatives and develop recommendations for the 2026 legislative session. Republican lawmakers have introduced eight bills proposing different approaches to property tax relief, including one that exempts seniors from non-school property taxes.
Experts say the state faces a stark choice: raise other taxes sharply or slash spending on schools, police, and infrastructure. Analysts calculate Florida would need to increase its general sales tax from 6% to 12% — the nation’s highest rate — to replace property tax revenue, a burden that falls hardest on working-class and poor families.
“Property taxes are the cornerstone of local fiscal autonomy in our state,” Esteban Leonardo Santis, policy analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, wrote earlier this year. “Eliminating property taxes would strip local governments of their fiscal independence.”
DeSantis has proposed that local governments increase tourist taxes and reduce spending to offset the losses, claiming municipal budgets have grown too large. The governor has threatened to veto alternative tax relief plans that fail to prioritize Florida residents.
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