Nearing the finish line
A flurry of late-afternoon votes at the Capitol has brought legislators within reach of a historic property tax cut package that Republicans say will bring needed relief but Democrats say will devastate local governments.
Only three days into a planned 10-day special session, both chambers already approved a $15.6 million package of property tax rollbacks and caps, and a Jan. 29 election date for a potential constitutional amendment establishing a “super-sized” homestead exemption.
The only item left on the Legislature’s to-do list: The amendment itself, which legislators were poised to approve before 6 p.m.
The amendment would offer Floridians an exemption of 75 percent on the first $200,000 of a property’s value, and 15 percent on the next $300,000.
Duval County legislators won a critical victory in an amendment that lowers the threshold by which the Jacksonville City Council can override the tax cuts and caps — from a unanimous vote to a three-fourths margin.
Adam Hollingsworth, a budget aide to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, praised Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, and Rep. Dick Kravitz, R-Jacksonville, for pushing the amendment through and setting a more reasonable standard for taxing decisions.
"At the start of the day, Jacksonville's budget was about to be determined by legislation passed here in Tallahassee," Hollingsworth said. "As a result of this amendment, we'll be able to maintain local control."
— J. Taylor Rushing/The Times-Union
Only three days into a planned 10-day special session, both chambers already approved a $15.6 million package of property tax rollbacks and caps, and a Jan. 29 election date for a potential constitutional amendment establishing a “super-sized” homestead exemption.
The only item left on the Legislature’s to-do list: The amendment itself, which legislators were poised to approve before 6 p.m.
The amendment would offer Floridians an exemption of 75 percent on the first $200,000 of a property’s value, and 15 percent on the next $300,000.
Duval County legislators won a critical victory in an amendment that lowers the threshold by which the Jacksonville City Council can override the tax cuts and caps — from a unanimous vote to a three-fourths margin.
Adam Hollingsworth, a budget aide to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, praised Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, and Rep. Dick Kravitz, R-Jacksonville, for pushing the amendment through and setting a more reasonable standard for taxing decisions.
"At the start of the day, Jacksonville's budget was about to be determined by legislation passed here in Tallahassee," Hollingsworth said. "As a result of this amendment, we'll be able to maintain local control."
— J. Taylor Rushing/The Times-Union
posted by J.T. Rushing at
4:50 PM
3 Comments:
HOME PRICES DROPPING LIKE A ROCK
This set of bills does nothing. Second homeowners will not buy in Florida and neither will investment property owners.
These people own over 50% of the homes in Florida - they have eaten almost all the tax increases.
Wake up folks - they are leaving and no one is coming to replace them! And they are going to force a massive drop in all home values in the process.
The little amount you save in homestead is pocket change compared to the drop in your homes value.
Taxes mnust be equalized for all - or prices will drop until second home owners can afford to buy - and that means huge declines over the coming months.
With the opt-out (council vote), we'll not see a penny of savings. Thank you John Peyton, for keeping my property taxes high.
Keep up the good work.
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