Broward tax collector sends wrong property-tax emails twice in one day
Broward taxpayers got two wrong property-tax emails in one day, deepening confusion as voters prepare to weigh a major homestead exemption overhaul.
Broward County taxpayers were sent two incorrect emails in the same day about Florida’s property-tax amendment, first telling residents the proposal would increase a homesteaded property’s assessed value, then correcting that with another mistake that said it would decrease assessed value instead of taxable value. The Broward Tax Collector’s Office planned a third email to fix the record again, putting the amendment back in front of homeowners who are trying to understand what it would do to their bills.
A proposal would go before voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot and needs 60% approval to pass. If approved, the homestead exemption would rise to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, then to $250,000 on January 1, 2028, with inflation indexing after that. The measure was approved by the Florida Legislature on June 2, 2026, after a special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and it passed the Florida House 75-26 and the Senate 30-9.
It would also cap annual increases in assessed value for non-homestead property at 5%, down from 10%, except for school district taxes. It would also place limits on how counties and municipalities can spend property-tax revenue. For Broward homeowners, the non-school portion of homestead taxes would change, while school taxes would remain outside the exemption change.
The tax collector’s own website says property-tax collections help fund schools, police, firefighters and hospitals. Abbey Ajayi took over in January 2025 after being elected in 2024. Broward County records list Ajayi as the county tax collector.
The mistake was honest, and the office did not intend to advocate for or against the amendment. Still, Commissioner Steve Geller questioned why the emails were sent at all. To him, the wording could be read as either supportive or critical depending on the reader.
The episode lands after a year of friction around the office. Broward inspector general materials had already accused Ajayi of campaign-related misuse of county resources while she was a county employee and candidate, and in May 2026 the Broward County School Board voted to explore legal action after the tax collector’s office withheld more than $5 million in referendum funds as a commission fee. Ajayi’s office pushed back then as well: the school board was misleading the public, and the Florida Department of Revenue had reviewed the governing statutes.
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