TAX RELIEF?

An Opinion By

Published June 2, 2026

The Florida Legislators are now doing the work they didn’t finish during this year’s regular session. Two special sessions are necessary to do the trick this year.

The first special session finally ended with a BUDGET – with actually quite a few tax exemptions for Florida’s citizens. The surplus budget contains the financing for some great programs. There was even enough money to pay down Florida’s debts. Finally – good going!

The second special session is on in the moment, with Governor Ron DeSantis trying to move his pet-project: Property tax reduction for homesteaded properties. This would be a great relief for Florida’s home and condo owners, especially seniors on limited income. But that seems to be not as easy as it actually should be: The Democrats – normally screaming for affordability and lowering the cost of living – are against it. Add the city and county governments, who would hate to get less money to waste and are already scaring the citizens claiming that there wouldn’t be enough money to fund all the necessary services.

WHAT A BUNCH OF NONSENSE!

Property tax income for cities and counties has seen huge increases, considering that millions of new homes and condos have been built in Florida in the last ten years. The coffers are overflowing, giving city and county governments lots of money for pork. Wasting money on “stupid” programs and even fraudulent programs seems to be fashionable, not only in Washington and many states in the nation.

Florida’s CFL Blaise Ingoglia has already started with forensic audits of some cities and counties. The results: Every audit showed millions of dollars being wasted for “pork” and excessive government spending. The recent surplus in property taxes is being wasted by many of our elected government officials. It’s high time to stop this waste – and reducing property tax income would just do that -- and help Florida’s home and condo owners.

Just take a look at the budgets of cities and counties for 2026. You will find lots of funding for programs that are absolutely unnecessary and don’t do anything for us – the citizens of Florida.

Most likely we will see an increase in HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, an exemption that will reduce the property tax bill for home and condo owners. And if that’s really on the NOVEMBER BALLOT you better all vote YEAH – or stop crying about high prices and the high cost of living.