Florida’s latest state budget is finalized — and property tax relief didn’t make the cut.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had pushed for a property tax rebate during negotiations, saying, “We’re working with the Senate on the budget on getting that through.” But as the legislative session closed, the proposal failed to gain enough traction.

Still, legislative leaders say the conversation is far from finished.

“The property tax discussion… it is alive and well,” said Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula. “Just because we didn’t get it done this year doesn’t mean it’s over.”

Albritton and House Speaker Danny Perez, R-Miami, plan to keep the issue on the table. They intend to gather feedback from Floridians in the coming months about what changes residents want to see.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to give the people of Florida the opportunity to decide,” Perez said. “Personally, I’d like to see property taxes abolished — or at the very least, reduced for some.”

Lawmakers are eyeing a possible 2026 statewide vote to let residents weigh in. But the idea of fully eliminating property taxes is raising concerns.

Critics, including many Democrats, warn that removing property taxes could devastate rural and fiscally constrained counties that rely on them for basic services.

“It would be ridiculous to eliminate property taxes,” said Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa. “That would completely hamstring our local governments.”

Gov. DeSantis argues otherwise, saying the state could easily cover the gap.

“If you eliminated property taxes on homesteaded properties, we’d need about $300 million annually to backfill fiscally constrained counties,” DeSantis said. “That’s budget dust — we can do it.”

Whether DeSantis will call a special legislative session to address property tax reform remains to be seen.

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