Florida House Approves Ballot Measure on Property Taxes; Monroe County Voters Affected

The Florida House approved House Joint Resolution 203 in Tallahassee on Feb. 19, 2026, sending a proposed constitutional amendment to the ballot that would eliminate or phase out most non‑school ad valorem taxes on homesteaded properties; the measure passed 80‑30 along party lines and would require at least 60% voter approval to become part of the state constitution. Rep. Monique Miller (R‑Palm Bay) sponsored the measure and told the House that “Floridians are clamoring for relief in the form of property tax,” while CBS reported Miller called the proposal a “reasonably measured approach” that will foster “a culture of thrift throughout the state.”

Published accounts differ on timing and mechanics of the change. Florida Phoenix reported the House‑approved language would “completely end non‑school property taxes for homesteaded properties beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.” By contrast, Cookingwithsaltlaw, KeysWeekly and ActionNewsJax describe a 10‑year phaseout: increasing the existing $50,000 homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and then adding $100,000 annually for 10 years, with full elimination of non‑school taxes for homesteads by Jan. 1, 2037. KeysWeekly and other outlets note legislators must review the enrolled HJR 203 language to confirm which schedule the House actually passed.

State economists’ fiscal estimates cited in reporting underscore the scale of revenue shifts for local governments. CBS reported the proposal would cost cities, counties, water management districts and other special taxing districts about $14.8 billion a year. Cookingwithsaltlaw provided a year‑by‑year ramp: $4.7 billion in reduced local funding in 2027, $8.3 billion in 2028, $10.6 billion in 2029 and roughly $18 billion annually beginning in 2037; Cookingwithsaltlaw also gave a separate estimate that non‑homestead non‑school taxes would fall by $1.7 billion in 2027, growing to about $5.2 billion over time. Multiple outlets say none of the House proposals reduce school property taxes, and Cookingwithsaltlaw reports the House plans would guarantee first responder funding at no less than the higher of local spending in the 2025‑2026 or 2026‑2027 fiscal year.

The legislative path remains complicated. KeysWeekly noted joint resolutions need three‑fifths approval of the Legislature to reach the ballot and that House joint resolutions do not require the governor’s sign‑off; if voters approve the amendment, state lawmakers would still have to pass implementing legislation. Speaker Danny Perez convened a Select Committee on Property Taxes after the 2025 session — described in KeysWeekly as a 37‑member group — that produced multiple proposals and, Perez said on the floor, put the chamber at a “turning point of session” with what he called possibly the most “aggressive legislation ever passed by a legislative chamber on property taxes in the U.S.” Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X that “we’ve been working with members of the Senate” and warned “it’s better to do it right than do it quick!” while ActionNewsJax reported DeSantis said a special session may be needed.

For Monroe County voters, the stakes are local revenue and services. KeysWeekly reported “cities and counties have raised concerns about cuts to services,” and the $14.8 billion and ramp figures cited by state economists imply significant losses for county and municipal budgets across Florida; how Monroe County’s share would change depends on the final HJR 203 text and later fiscal analyses. Because published accounts conflict on whether the change would take effect in 2027 or phase in through 2037, the enrolled House text and the state economist’s memo will determine the precise impact on Monroe County budgets, first responder funding and local fees going forward.