Florida House committee to discuss eliminating property taxes

A Florida House select committee will meet later this month to discuss cutting or eliminating property taxes as Gov. Ron DeSantis continues pressing for action.

A Thursday post from Florida Realtors said the House Select Committee on Property Taxes is tentatively scheduled to convene the afternoon of Sept. 22 and the morning of Sept. 23.

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, created the panel in the spring and it met twice in May.

Lawmakers are expected to take up the issue in January with the goal of placing a constitutional amendment on next November’s ballot.

Much of this activity is spurred on by financial audits of Florida counties. DeSantis — backed by state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia — has launched audits of several local governments to bolster support for the cuts.

The governor has also voiced support for a complete abolishment of property taxes.

Palm Beach County’s finances from 2021 through 2025 are under review by the U.S. DOGE Service, which is relying on artificial intelligence and detailed line-item checks to evaluate spending.

“These audits will shine the light on wasteful spending,” Ingoglia told Newsweek in late August. “People are concerned with the level of property taxes they are paying. Local officials say their budgets are already cut to the bone, but I can tell you that is not the case.”

According to Interim County Administrator Todd Bonlarron, the audit is examining contracts, purchasing procedures, staffing practices and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

A constitutional amendment to abolish Florida’s property taxes would need approval from at least 60% of voters.

The Florida Policy Institute recently cautioned that eliminating the tax without a clear replacement strategy could shift the burden onto low- and middle-income families.

If sales taxes are raised to fill the gap, those households could end up paying a larger share of their earnings than wealthier residents, the group said.