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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said lawmakers will consider a constitutional amendment that would dramatically increase the state’s homestead exemption and could eliminate property taxes for most primary homeowners.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday he will call lawmakers into a special session beginning Monday to consider a constitutional amendment that would sharply reduce property taxes for many primary homeowners by expanding the state’s homestead exemption.
The proposal would raise Florida’s homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000, with the amount adjusted for inflation. If approved by the Legislature, the measure would be placed before voters in November.
DeSantis said the plan is intended to deliver broad tax relief to Florida residents who own and live in their homes, while slowing the growth of local government property tax collections.
“We want that to be tax-free,” DeSantis said of homestead properties owned by Florida residents. “This is really an historic opportunity to have more money in people’s pockets and to actually have their home be their private property that the government just can’t use as a piggybank.”
The governor said about 60% of Florida homeowners with homestead properties would pay no property taxes under the proposed exemption. He said additional increases could eventually expand that share to as many as 92% of homeowners if the threshold rises to $500,000.
DeSantis argued the change is needed because local government property tax revenue has grown rapidly in recent years. He said collections have increased from $32 billion in 2019 to about $60 billion today and could climb to $83 billion by 2032 without intervention.
“If we don’t give homeowners relief, by 2032 they’re going to be taking in $83 billion,” DeSantis said. “That is not sustainable.”
The proposal is expected to face questions over how cities, counties and school districts would manage the loss of revenue if property taxes are reduced or eliminated for a large share of homeowners. DeSantis said the exemption would be phased in over time and said local governments would be able to adjust spending as the changes take effect.
The governor also said Florida plans to create a state grant fund to help local governments that face budget pressures tied to services such as public safety or education.
“Because we have surplus at the state level, we are creating a fund that will be able to issue grants to local governments,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said Florida’s overall fiscal position makes the tax proposal possible. He pointed to the state’s lack of an income tax, four consecutive years of reduced overall spending and state surpluses.
The governor contrasted Florida’s budget with New York’s, saying Florida spends less despite having a larger population.
“Our budget has been basically around $117 billion, give or take a little bit, for the last four years,” DeSantis said. “I think we have 4 million more people than New York state does.”
DeSantis also said Florida has paid down a major portion of its long-term debt during his administration.
“If you take all of Florida’s debt that we’ve accumulated since statehood in the 1840s, just since I’ve been governor we’ve retired 50% of that debt through our aggressive debt repayment policies,” DeSantis said.
The governor said Florida continues to attract residents and wealth from high-tax states, particularly California. He said proposed wealth taxes elsewhere have prompted affluent individuals and business leaders to move to Florida.
“In the last nine months, the amount of wealth we’ve seen move from California simply because of the threat of this wealth tax has been unprecedented,” DeSantis said.
Asked about Florida politics ahead of the 2026 elections, DeSantis said he remains focused on governing and has not made endorsements in the gubernatorial race.
He noted Florida’s shift from a closely contested swing state when he first won office to a state where Republicans now hold a large voter registration advantage.
“When I got elected governor in 2018, Florida was a swing state,” DeSantis said. “Now we have 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats.”
DeSantis declined to discuss any potential role after his governorship and said his attention remains on his current duties in Florida.
He also praised President Donald Trump for backing Everglades restoration, calling it the largest environmental restoration project in U.S. history.