Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says that property taxes are nonsense, in that you are essentially paying rent to the government in exchange for owning property.
“You should own your property free and clear,” DeSantis said at a recent roundtable in Jacksonville. “I think to say that someone that’s been in their house for 35 years just has to keep ponying up money — you don’t own your home, if that’s the case.”
He’s right, but at the same time, things like police, fire, and schools need to be funded. The thing that surprised me about this article was that the state’s tax on real property accounts for 18% of county revenue, 17% of municipal revenue and between 50% and 60% of school district funding.
So the elimination of property taxes would mean that counties would have to cut 18% of their expenditures. Using Orange County (where Orlando is located) as an example, they have an annual budget of $7.2 billion. (pdf alert) That would mean that the county needs to cut $1.3 billion from its annual budget. From their budget, they spend money on:
In this budget, we have purposefully allocated resources to address critical areas that are essential to ensuring the well-being of our residents by investing in affordable housing, preserving the environment, fueling economic development, strengthening public safety, improving transportation, expanding mental and behavioral health services, and enhancing children and family services programs. We will also develop a plan for expanding services to homeless people.
Orange county’s property tax proceeds total about $969 million of that budget. Can they make some cuts?
- $16.1 million is for affordable housing programs
- Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCF) $7.5 million for mental health, early childhood development, youth empowerment, family support, and youth recreation.
- The Citizens Review Panel (CRP) recommends grant funding for small and large nonprofit organizations that provide vital services to Orange County children, youth, and their families. CRP funding is budgeted at $4.1 million for the fiscal year 2025.
- resources to advance environmental initiatives $100 million per year
- Tourist Development Tax revenue budget for fiscal year 2025 is $345 million. Let businesses fund their own development.
Without even trying, I have found $472.7 million in cuts. That’s halfway to eliminating property taxes. It can be done. Government shouldn’t be an endless source of pork that is being used to buy votes. Government should stay out of our pockets and provide only essential services through taxes. They should ask for donations for any extra services.
12 Comments
Will · July 6, 2025 at 10:14 am
It’s like the counties have there own Big Beautiful Bill, full of waste, fraud and pork.
SoCoRuss · July 6, 2025 at 11:12 am
Agreed to a point. I have lived all over the US during my life thanks to Uncle Sam. But as I was in a state whether to live there or visit on vaca, I was always looking at it as a retirement location later in life. What I found was amazing , it doesn’t matter whether the state has a income tax and no other taxes or no state tax and high property taxes or vehicle taxes. They all got about the same dollar amount from citizens. So if you remove a certain tax they will just increase other ones to make it up. They have to in order to get a level of services the citizens will tolerate. A person or groups demanding low taxes is fine if they understand what level of services they will get with those cuts and surprisingly they don’t correlate tax cuts and service levels. I have had some real discussions with those folks just for fun.
The budget cut game just like the fake Fed .GOV shutdowns will always come from the services that will cause the most pain: Cops and Fire and medical and Streets. But funny how the fed agencies were basically shutdown for 3 years due to COVID and no one noticed ? They wont go after the parasite services first because they don’t want the riots that WILL ensue from the savages.
If the people want LOW taxes and I have no issues with that, then great but understand what you will be getting from that decision. The only other way for these services to exist along with low tax rates is privatization. That 3am noise downstairs in your house may now mean you go take care of it vs calling an official someone else or a family member has a stroke or heart attack but you will have to call a private company now and pay their fees for service for ambulance. I have seen these privatized type programs overseas, where people have to use private services for life savings vs public. I used them when we lived off base in the Philippines and was very happy.
The surprising thing I have found around the US in general is people don’t have a clue when you discuss funding levels and matching that to expected service levels!
That why we are where we are in the country today, Morons get to breed and vote and I don’t know which one is worse!
Michael · July 6, 2025 at 1:28 pm
Property taxes for SERVICES Rendered to my satisfaction is good.
Too much money in politicians’ hands generate porkie pie projects as you described above.
1st NOBODY should be taxed out of their homes. Too many Seniors have to reverse mortgage their homes around here to stay in them. Those that cannot reverse find themselves forced into other living quarters by taxes. That is wrong in both cases.
Seniors primary home should be an OPT OUT Scenario.
Folks that can prove poverty should be offered to do services inn kind to replace lost taxes.
2nd I’d go for funding schools, firemen and police as long as WE the People have RIGHTS to examine what we are getting from that money and be the Sole deciders for Raises (as they affect our taxes). School Teachers need to serve the people, not the Democratic Party Run School Board and National version.
Everything else needs to be on a special election where We the People decide IF extra taxes are worth that “Offering”.
Keep Goverment on a DIET aka a Budget. I have to budget, so should they.
beans · July 6, 2025 at 1:38 pm
I remember when the people of California enacted Proposition 13, which gutted special little pork projects, gutted a lot of special little pork projects, and saved a huge amount of money. Problem was the politicians and special interest groups started getting their special little pork projects refinanced oh, about 10 seconds after the cuts were made.
As to Florida, a lot of municipalities and counties have achieved the vaunted ‘bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake’ and become huge jobs and welfare programs. Some of the cuts will hurt, but, really, cities paying for Pride crosswalks or fake painted brickwork or huge EEOC units and other ‘passion projects’ like completely changing the city logo every 5-6 years all need to go away anyways.
oldvet50 · July 6, 2025 at 1:44 pm
It only makes sense to increase the sales tax, perhaps even doubling it, to make up the shortfall from property tax elimination. Not just Floridians pay sales tax here; we are a tourist state. Only Floridians pay the property tax, though. The tourists (and seasonal residents) use our roads, but don’t pay the road tax (licensing and plates). The OBBB just increased the SALT tax deduction from $10K to $40K. If you live in a state that has a low tax rate, you will pay more in federal income tax and therefore subsidize the high tax states (usually blue). Any increase you pay in sales tax will be a deduction in earnings for your federal tax bill. If you don’t like to pay the extra sales tax, don’t buy so much stuff – necessities (food and medicine) are not taxable in Florida like they are in other states.
Fred · July 7, 2025 at 5:29 am
The county could always get the taxes through a sales tax. I am in favor of this because you don’t lose your house by not paying their “rent.”
Different subject, but could you perhaps do an article on people’s favorite brass catcher?
Noway2 · July 7, 2025 at 7:27 am
I agree. The idea that you only own your property as long as you continue to pay rent to govt. is a total crock of horseshit. What’s worse is that we often times have bureaucrats deciding what they want to spend and then demanding you pay for it. They call it “services” but much of it is grift and can be done away with.
Even the things that are “essential” can be trimmed. In my county they built a new EOC building. Did it really need high end granite countertops including in all the common areas? Does it really need the super high end audio/visual system and fancy, electronic lighting systems? No. Again who pays for it versus who benefits from it?
Jester · July 7, 2025 at 6:57 pm
Funny enough the comments about the taxes/fees for other things going up was perfectly illustrated when I went to the county clerk to transfer a lisence plate and order a new one. A fellow from the east coast was trying to register and plate his vehicle. Wyoming does plate fees on top of taxes and the plate fees are based with a 10 percent depreciation per year on the Mfg Suggested retail price. Not the price you paid of course. So if according to say GMC your denali retails for 95K that’s what it’s based off not the 85K or whatever you actually paid. But the county clerk was really nice when she told the fellow his truck was 10 years old so was at the minimum cost now. He was shocked at that price, but she assured him it was okay as there is no income tax. But the state has to get the operational money some how she said.
I do agree that at some age folks if they have paid off their home or land and are of retirement age should get a break. Or at least put the property taxes based off income or something to that effect. However with the amount of Boomer home owners that may not be something seriously considered for some time to come.
Elrod · July 8, 2025 at 5:28 pm
I agree wholeheartedly. I will be very interested in seeing just how DeSantis achieves it.
anonymous coward · July 20, 2025 at 7:05 am
Here (North Central Florida) the property tax bill is divided in to property tax, school tax, fire department tax, etc. So it could get more granular to make things work. Certainly not an all or nothing proposition.
Divemedic · July 20, 2025 at 11:04 am
When they refer to property taxes, it is typically ad valorem taxes. That is, taxes that vary based upon the value of the property being taxed. In most counties, that includes “property taxes” and “School board” taxes.
In some counties, the fire department is funded with ad valorem taxes, while in others, it is a flat fee. I will explain it in another post.
Speaking of Wasted Tax $ – Area Ocho · July 10, 2025 at 5:04 am
[…] post about wasted property tax money has another example. What do these motorcoaches cost? Half million each? […]
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