Florida’s Property Tax Showdown: Where the House Bills Hit—and Miss—the Mark

Published on October 18, 2025 at 8:33 PM

A Surge of Reform Energy

Every few years, Tallahassee lights up with talk of “property tax reform.” This year, it’s not just talk. The Florida House has introduced a wave of proposals—HB 201 through HB 215—all promising relief, fairness, or reform in some way.

At Guardians of Liberty, we welcome any conversation that aims to make homeownership more affordable and government more accountable. We’ve been leading that charge with our own Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act, a blueprint built on three simple promises: cut the burden, cap the growth, and show the receipts.

So when we saw these bills drop, we dove in—line by line—to see where they align with the spirit of our reform and where they still fall short of protecting homeowners from creeping taxes and runaway local spending.

This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about trust, transparency, and the right of Floridians to truly own the homes they’ve already paid for.

The Landscape We’re Dealing With

Florida’s property tax structure has always been a paradox. We’re known as a “low-tax state,” yet property taxes quietly rise year after year even when millage rates stay the same. Between 2013 and 2023, statewide property tax collections grew more than 65 percent—nearly twice the pace of population plus inflation. Local governments collected an extra $12 billion in a decade without a single headline vote to “raise taxes.”

That’s the silent tax creep our Act was written to stop.

While Florida’s Save Our Homes 3-percent cap helped many homesteaded homeowners, it left renters, small business owners, and new buyers exposed. And because assessments can still surge, local budgets balloon while taxpayers scramble to keep up.

Against that backdrop, the House’s reform proposals are welcome—but incomplete. Let’s look at each, how they compare to our plan, and what would make them truly transformative.

HB 201 — Eliminating Non-School Property Taxes for Homesteads

The boldest headline belongs to HB 201: wipe out all non-school property taxes for homesteads by 2027. On the surface, that sounds like the ultimate victory for homeowners. Who wouldn’t want to see that line vanish from their bill?

Where We Align:

We share the goal of permanent relief for Floridians living in their own homes. Every dollar a family keeps in their pocket is a dollar that fuels local business, savings, or retirement security. Eliminating non-school taxes would unquestionably lighten the load.

Where It Misses:

Relief without restraint is a short-term win and a long-term risk. HB 201 doesn’t address how local governments will respond when this revenue disappears. History shows they’ll create or raise “fees,” “special assessments,” or “service charges” to make up the gap. The burden shifts instead of shrinks.

Our Recommendation:

Pair any tax elimination with spending discipline. Cap total local revenue growth at inflation + population. Require any new fee or assessment to pass the same two-thirds vote and public notice rules as a tax hike. Real relief means government lives within its means, not finds new ways to reach into the same wallet.

HB 203 — Phasing Out Non-School Property Taxes Over 10 Years

HB 203 offers a slower glidepath: increase the homestead exemption $100,000 a year for ten years until non-school property taxes are gone.

Where We Align:

Predictability matters. Gradual phase-outs give local governments time to adjust budgets and allow homeowners to plan.

Where It Misses:

Without built-in accountability, that ten-year glidepath could easily become a ten-year shell game. Localities might raise millage or create new assessments to offset each step of the exemption increase.

Our Recommendation:

Tie every yearly exemption bump to a matching rollback millage calculation so total collections can’t quietly outpace inflation and population. Require an annual “Taxpayer Report Card” showing whether local spending rose faster than the rollback limit. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

HB 205 — Eliminating Non-School Property Taxes for Seniors 65 and Up

If there’s one group Florida owes relief to, it’s our seniors—especially those living on fixed incomes. HB 205 would eliminate non-school property taxes for anyone 65 or older with a homestead exemption.

Where We Align:

We strongly support protecting seniors, disabled veterans, and those most at risk of being taxed out of their homes. That’s a moral obligation as much as a fiscal one.

Where It Misses:

HB 205 focuses narrowly on age, not income or need, and it doesn’t fix the systemwide problem of tax creep that affects younger families too. Without structural guardrails, others may shoulder a heavier load to make up the difference.

Our Recommendation:

Add a circuit-breaker provision that ties property tax liability to household income—so relief targets those who truly need it. Include a hardship deferral program and simplify valuation appeals for seniors. And again, pair it with overall spending caps so younger generations aren’t left holding the bag.

HB 207 — Expanding the Non-School Homestead Exemption to 25% of Assessed Value

This one would increase the current non-school exemption to a quarter of the home’s assessed value.

Where We Align:

Any across-the-board relief helps families breathe easier, and percentage-based exemptions recognize that a $150,000 home and a $750,000 home face different realities.

Where It Misses:

It gives relief but not restraint. The proposal doesn’t stop local budgets from growing faster than the economy, so savings can vanish within a few years of rising assessments or millage.

Our Recommendation:

Connect the exemption increase to a truth-in-revenue cap—total collections can’t exceed last year’s revenue adjusted by inflation + population. Require localities to publish a plain-English notice comparing your bill under rollback versus proposed rates. Seeing both numbers side by side changes everything.

HB 209 — Extra $100,000 Exemption for Homes with Property Insurance

At first glance, HB 209 tries to reward responsibility: if you insure your home, you get an additional $100,000 exemption.

Where We Align:

Encouraging insurance coverage is good public policy, especially in a hurricane-prone state. It also acknowledges the rising cost of insurance as part of Florida’s affordability crisis.

Where It Misses:

This one’s tricky. It creates winners and losers based on the health of the insurance market—not homeowner behavior. Some Floridians can’t even find coverage right now. Tying tax relief to a system already in turmoil could deepen inequities.

Our Recommendation:

Replace the insurance requirement with a resilience credit for wind or flood mitigation improvements, available to all homeowners. Keep the spirit of rewarding preparation, but without penalizing those abandoned by insurers. And, as always, anchor it to spending accountability so temporary relief isn’t swallowed by long-term creep.

HB 211 — Removing the $500,000 Portability Cap

Florida allows you to transfer up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes benefit when you move. HB 211 removes that cap.

Where We Align:

Mobility matters. People shouldn’t feel trapped in their homes because moving means a massive tax jump. Removing the cap helps families downsize or relocate without financial penalty.

Where It Misses:

Portability fixes an equity problem but doesn’t solve the root issue of government overspending. It can also widen assessment gaps between neighbors.

Our Recommendation:

Adopt portability reform and require a Portability Impact Statement showing how it affects neighborhood equity and revenue trends. Add a five-year sunset and review to see whether it’s working as intended. Transparency turns good intentions into lasting fairness.

HB 213 — Tightening the Cap on Annual Assessment Growth

This proposal would gradually lower the assessment growth cap to 3% for homesteads and 15% for non-homesteads over three years.

Where We Align:

Predictability is good. Lower caps slow down runaway valuation jumps that fuel higher bills.

Where It Misses:

Assessment caps alone can’t prevent total revenue from skyrocketing. Local governments can still raise millage or fees. The focus must shift from assessed value to total revenue.

Our Recommendation:

Replace the cap system with a revenue-side rollback formula: local governments can collect only last year’s revenue plus inflation + population growth unless two-thirds of officials—and the public—explicitly approve more. That’s the beating heart of our Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act.

HB 215 — Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote to Raise Property Tax Rates

This is the closest cousin to our reform bill. It would mandate a supermajority vote to increase property tax rates.

Where We Align:

Completely. Supermajority requirements protect taxpayers from knee-jerk hikes. They force debate, consensus, and justification.

Where It Misses:

It stops at millage rates. Governments can still raise special assessments, create new districts, or hike fees—all without a two-thirds vote. That loophole undermines the entire principle.

Our Recommendation:

Extend the two-thirds threshold to every tax-like instrument—millage, assessments, MSTUs, dependent districts, and impact fees above inflation. Require clear ballot language, sunset clauses, and a “truth-in-revenue” notice mailed to every taxpayer before a vote.

When people see what’s being asked and why, government spends smarter.

The Common Threads—and the Missing Pieces

Looking across these eight bills, one thing is clear: Florida’s Legislature is serious about offering property-tax relief. We commend that. But relief without restraint is a revolving door. Unless we cap total revenue growth and demand transparency, local governments will always find creative ways to refill the coffers.

Here’s what nearly all the bills miss—and what our Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act guarantees:

  1. A True Rollback Formula — We measure growth on revenue, not property values. That ensures taxpayers automatically benefit when appraisals climb.
  2. Anti-Backfill Protections — Any new or increased fee, assessment, or district levy must follow the same approval process as a tax hike. No backdoor revenue streams.
  3. Transparency & Dashboards — Every county and city should post a real-time Spending & Outcomes Dashboard: budgets, vendor payments, capital projects, debt, and per-capita costs.
  4. Truth-in-Revenue Notices — Homeowners deserve to see their bill under rollback vs. proposed rates before hearings occur, in plain language.
  5. Supermajority + Voter Control — Two-thirds vote to exceed rollback, plus ballot clarity and sunset dates so temporary hikes don’t become permanent.
  6. Protection for the Vulnerable — Circuit-breaker credits, deferrals, and hardship valuation freezes for seniors, disabled veterans, and low-income homeowners.

That’s comprehensive reform—fair, factual, and built to last.

Why This Matters Beyond the Spreadsheet

Property taxes aren’t just about revenue; they’re about roots. They decide whether a young family can buy their first home, whether a retiree can age in place, and whether a small business can keep its doors open.

When taxes rise faster than wages, people move, communities hollow out, and local economies suffer. Florida’s advantage has always been affordability and opportunity. Letting stealth tax creep erode that edge is fiscal malpractice.

Our Act doesn’t starve local government—it disciplines it. By tying growth to inflation + population, we guarantee stable funding for essential services while ending the unsustainable practice of spending first and explaining later.

It’s not radical. It’s responsible. And it’s exactly how most families already run their own budgets.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

According to Florida Revenue Department data, local property-tax collections increased from roughly $26 billion in 2013 to more than $43 billion in 2023. Population grew only 18 percent in that same decade, while the CPI rose 29 percent. Combined, that would justify about a 47 percent increase—not 65 plus.

That 18-point gap is pure “tax creep,” extracted through higher assessments and creative levies rather than explicit votes.

If the Property Tax Reform & Spending Accountability Act had been in effect, Florida homeowners would have saved an estimated $3.5 billion statewide last year alone—without cutting a single essential service.

That’s the difference between reform that sounds good and reform that actually works.

Building Accountability Into Every Dollar

One of the strongest pillars of our proposal is the Local Spending Transparency Dashboard. Every Floridian should be able to see—instantly—where their money goes.

Imagine logging onto your county’s website and seeing:

  • How much your local government collected this year vs. last.
  • How that compares to population and inflation growth.
  • Where each department’s spending went, down to vendor payments.
  • A “Top 5 Budget Increases” list showing where growth outpaced the average.

Transparency isn’t anti-government; it’s pro-citizen. It restores trust and rewards efficiency.

Protecting Those Who Built Florida

Our seniors, veterans, and fixed-income homeowners have earned more than a tax notice surprise. Property taxes shouldn’t rise just because a neighborhood becomes fashionable.

That’s why our Act includes a circuit-breaker limiting property-tax liability to a reasonable percentage of household income, plus optional deferral for hardship cases. Seniors should never have to sell a lifelong home to pay the tax bill.

These safeguards ensure compassion lives alongside fiscal discipline—a balance Florida can be proud of.

A Word to Lawmakers

To our friends in the Legislature: we applaud the energy behind HB 201 through HB 215. Each represents a genuine desire to make life more affordable for Floridians. But if we stop at relief and skip accountability, we’ll be back here in five years debating the same problem under a different headline.

Adopt the rollback formula. Require transparency dashboards. Apply the supermajority and public notice rules to all revenue instruments.

Do that, and you’ll make history—not headlines.

A Word to Homeowners

To every Floridian who opens their annual tax notice and wonders how it went up again—this fight is for you.

Your home is more than an investment. It’s your foundation, your family’s security, your piece of the American promise. You shouldn’t have to fear losing it to endless government growth.

Our movement isn’t anti-tax; it’s pro-accountability. We believe in funding the basics—roads, safety, schools—efficiently and transparently. But we refuse to accept the quiet creep that turns ownership into renting from the government.

If you believe in that too, stand with us.

The Path Forward

Over the coming months, these House bills will move through committees, amendments, and debates. Guardians of Liberty will be there every step of the way—testifying, submitting recommendations, and rallying Floridians to demand genuine reform, not cosmetic fixes.

We’ll continue meeting with legislators like Representative Toby Overdorf and other reform-minded leaders to make sure the final legislation reflects the principles of transparency, spending discipline, and taxpayer protection.

But we can’t do it alone. Every signature, every story, every conversation at a town-hall matters. When voters speak with one voice, lawmakers listen.

Our Bottom Line

When we founded Guardians of Liberty, it wasn’t to chase headlines—it was to restore accountability where it matters most: close to home.

We believe in a Florida where government growth never outpaces family income.

We believe in clear budgets, honest notices, and elected officials who justify every dollar they spend.

We believe that protecting homeowners protects communities.

The current slate of House bills shows progress, but not perfection. Together, we can help the Legislature cross that finish line and deliver reform that lasts.

Call to Action

If you’ve ever opened your property-tax bill and felt frustrated, confused, or powerless—know that change is possible, and it starts with us.

Join the movement that’s fighting to make property ownership truly secure again. Add your name to the Property Tax Reform petition, share it with your neighbors, and let Florida’s leaders know we’re watching, we’re engaged, and we’re not settling for half-measures.

Because ownership should mean ownership—not perpetual rent to a government that can’t say no to more.

Together, let’s make Florida the model for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and homeowner protection nationwide.

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