MELBOURNE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis held a roundtable in Melbourne on Monday, making the case for sweeping property tax relief for Florida homeowners and urging state legislators to finalize the budget so the effort can move forward.
Speaking at the Space Coast Association of Realtors, DeSantis said a ballot measure focused on homestead exemptions for Florida residents is the next major item on his agenda — but only after the state budget is resolved.
“Once there’s a budget agreement, then we move forward on putting something on the ballot for property tax,” DeSantis said. “And this is something that a lot of people have been talking about for a long time.”
The governor pointed to dramatic growth in local government property tax revenue as a driving force behind the push. In 2019, local governments across Florida collected $32 billion in property tax revenue. Today, that number stands at $60 billion — nearly double in seven years.
DeSantis said projections show local governments could collect $83 billion annually by 2031 if current trends continue, calling the trajectory unsustainable.