Gov. Ron DeSantis promises a November vote to end homestead property taxes, but his office still lacks draft ballot language and support to pass a constitutional amendment.
Gov. Ron DeSantis says Floridians will vote in November on a plan to repeal homestead property taxes. His pitch is bold; the legislative math, and even the wording, still aren’t.
DeSantis used an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle” to reiterate a guarantee to viewers that an amendment will reach the ballot.. The core idea is straightforward: homesteads would be exempt from property tax.. But when asked how the proposal would be structured—especially the amendment’s legal wording—DeSantis offered a promise of action. not a finished text.. He framed it as something being worked out even as he tries to secure the supermajority required in both chambers.
Under Florida’s amendment process, constitutional changes require 60% approval in the House and Senate.. DeSantis acknowledged that he still needs votes, and his comments suggest the central challenge is bigger than timing.. The state can’t simply place a concept on a ballot; it has to produce a legally precise measure that lawmakers can approve and voters can understand. then withstand court scrutiny.
That challenge is now colliding with internal messaging in Tallahassee.. DeSantis has suggested he was “working with legislators” on agreeable language ahead of a Special Session call later this year.. Yet House Speaker Daniel Perez reportedly told a reporter last weekend that he and his colleagues hadn’t seen the proposal.. Incoming Speaker Sam Garrison. meanwhile. has indicated opposition to at least one version of the plan—specifically an approach where the state subsidizes local revenue shortfalls tied to property tax collections in many counties.. In practical terms. that kind of model can trigger tough bargaining over how much money the state would move. where it would come from. and what assurances counties and local governments would receive.
The political promise is designed to land with a broad audience: homeowners hear “homestead tax exemption” and many interpret it as immediate relief.. A separate poll from Stetson University’s Center for Public Opinion Research says support would be exceptionally high if DeSantis introduces the plan and the Legislature votes to put it on the ballot—77% support in that scenario. comfortably clearing the 60% threshold.. But polling can’t substitute for legislative negotiations. particularly when the proposal threatens to shift fiscal responsibilities between the state and local governments.
There’s also a human side to the stalled language, even before the ballot appears.. Property taxes are local-billing realities. and exemptions reverberate outward: counties rely on predictable revenue for services. and local budgeting often begins well before statewide constitutional amendments are finalized.. When lawmakers talk about “structure,” they’re talking about who absorbs the gap and how soon.. For residents. the question isn’t only whether a tax is reduced. but whether the ripple effects show up later through adjustments elsewhere—fees. service levels. or new budget tradeoffs.
Why the missing amendment language matters
The real fight: supermajority votes and fiscal tradeoffs
What could happen before a Special Session
For now, DeSantis appears to be counting on voter enthusiasm while trying to manufacture legislative certainty.. The poll numbers—so strong under the assumption the plan reaches the ballot—could still become a persuasive argument in closed-door negotiations.. Yet unless the governor’s office produces clear ballot-ready language and secures enough votes. Floridians may hear promises long before they see a final amendment they can actually vote on.