A special legislative session started today to consider cutting property taxes. Florida homeowners could get historic relief from the proposed reform; however, local government officials are in panic mode, trying to hang on to MILLION$ in increased revenues they’ve been raking in for years.
Fat cat bureaucrats are using scare tactics, working with liberal news outlets, attempting to dodge the proposed tax reform by screaming that it takes away their control. Well, I can’t think of a more bloated bureaucracy than Santa Rosa County, so wrestling away some of their power is warranted!
A website has been launched to calculate potential initial savings for Florida homeowners: https://www.saveourhomesfl.com/
Santa Rosa’s Northwest Florida Legislative Delegation, consisting of Senator Don Gaetz, Rep. Alex Andrade and Rep. Nathan Boyles, have each stated their intent to vote to approve asking voters to decide on the Nov. 3 ballot.
“If the proposal is adopted by the voters, the legislature will have follow-up work to do to ensure that local governments have the resources necessary to provide critical public safety and infrastructure. This will be especially important for place like the Panhandle where most local governments have been very conservative in their use of millage compared to jurisdictions in other parts of the state,” stated Boyles.
Per the Florida Association of Counties August 2025 Florida County Property Tax Report, around 52% of parcels are not homesteaded in Santa Rosa County. Statewide, about 30% of property is homesteaded.
According to that FAC report, taxable property values in Santa Rosa County rose from $11.2 Billion in 2020 to $17.65 billion in 2024.
Advocates for property tax reform point out that for years homeowners have been paying higher property taxes, due to the increased value of their property, but they have not been consuming more in services, leaving an imbalance.
Opponents say it takes spending power away from cities and counties, which would have to offset some of the lost revenues in other ways – like a sales tax.
Tell us your thoughts!! Do you believe elected officials from local cities (Milton, Gulf Breeze and Jay) and Santa Rosa County have been good stewards of the increased property tax revenues?
