Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that Florida lawmakers are likely to hold a special legislative session in July to advance a constitutional amendment providing homestead property tax relief ahead of a ballot-printing deadline.
DeSantis said legislators will first complete work on the overdue state budget before turning to the tax measure. The proposal would expand protections for primary residences occupied by their owners while preserving taxation on second homes, investment properties such as short-term rentals, and commercial real estate.
“They still want to tax the Airbnbs and the Canadians and the third homes and second homes, and obviously the commercial they’ll be able to do that,” DeSantis said. “But we want those homesteaded properties.”
The special session would be structured to secure the three-fifths majority required in both the House and Senate to place the measure on the ballot. DeSantis pointed to a late July deadline tied to when county elections supervisors must finalize ballots for printing.
“Probably the beginning of August, for sure,” he said. “I think we’ll do it in advance of that, but it’s got to get printed on the ballot.”
DeSantis framed the effort as a response to sharp increases in local property tax collections, which have risen from $32 billion in 2019 to $60 billion seven years later. He said the higher revenues are straining many Florida homeowners.
