Five Pinellas County beach community mayors gathered Thursday evening for the fourth annual “State of the Beaches” panel, tackling two issues dominating local government across the Tampa Bay area: proposed elimination of property taxes and ongoing hurricane recovery.
The event was organized by St. Petersburg College’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and the Pinellas Beaches Chamber.
On the property tax front, the mayors were largely unified in their opposition to a proposal by Gov. Ron DeSantis to place a measure on the November ballot that would allow voters to eliminate homestead property taxes. Madeira Beach Mayor Anna-Marie Brooks said she had concerns about plans to largely eliminate property taxes, noting that, while she doesn’t have all the answers, flatly eliminating them would not be good for communities.
Brooks did express openness to more targeted relief. She said she could support exempting homeowners 65 and older from property taxes, acknowledging that retired residents often struggle with high tax bills.
Hurricane recovery also dominated the discussion. Brooks said her city has seen more than 200 homes demolished and roughly 50 others in the process of being elevated, with some residents still waiting on Elevate Florida assistance, insurance settlements, or contractors before they can move forward with rebuilding. Some cities said they are using the rebuilding period to install seawalls and strengthen infrastructure against future storms.
Kimberly Jackson, executive director of the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College, said the goal of the panel is community education, noting that how residents respond to an issue after learning the facts is their own choice.
Hurricane season begins June 1.
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