Save Our Homes may be portable

I would like to share with you what has recently transpired in the area of property taxes. As you are probably aware, the "super homestead" property tax amendment that was to appear on the ballot on Jan. 29 was ruled by a judge as unclear and therefore unconstitutional. The Legislature was forced to go back to Tallahassee and come up with another ballot amendment to give the citizens of Florida a chance to vote for lower property taxes.

The State House of Representatives this past week passed another proposal to submit to the voters to amend the constitution and provide significant property tax relief. The proposal would preserve Save Our Homes; provides portability to transfer accumulated Save Our Homes benefits when moving to another homestead; provide a guaranteed Save Our Homes for all homestead properties (homeowners would receive a guaranteed exemption equal to 40 percent of the county's median just value for homesteads, 100 percent for low income seniors).

Also included in this proposal is a 5 percent assessment cap for all non-homestead and commercial properties in Florida to guarantee property tax predictability and protection for all property owners; new Tangible Personal Property Exemption of $25,000; provides for limitations on assessed values of properties used for affordable housing and working waterfronts (does not apply to school tax levies); as well as requiring that all Florida property appraisers switch from appointed to elected positions.

Ford

Cutting property taxes and restoring some measure of fairness to our property tax system is not just about making people feel good, it is as critical an economic policy issue our state has faced. If we do not continue to address the crushing weight of unfair property taxes, our state's economic challenges will worsen, and the unprecedented economic growth we experienced for the past eight years will seem a distant memory.

As I write this, negotiations with the Senate have reached a stalemate. The key sticking point is the 5 percent cap on non-homesteaded property. It is my belief that to truly give property tax relief we need to provide relief to the citizens and business owners who have been bearing the brunt of the tax burden in recent years. It is my hope that a meaningful solution will have been reached before the deadline.

I believe more can be done. State government must reduce spending when revenues go down and not increase taxes. That is what we are asking local governments to do. There is more waste that can be cut from government at all levels, government can provide greater value to the taxpayers, there are more taxpayer protections that must be put in place, and there are greater tax savings that this Legislature can provide to Floridians. The Legislature began by reducing spending at the state level in the spring 2007 session by $1.8 billion and reduced another $1.1 billion in special session earlier this month. While the current proposal falls short of what is truly needed to revitalize our economy and restore our state as a national economic leader again, I am hopeful that some of the provisions contained within the plan, including portability, will aid in jump-starting Florida's real estate industry.

Write Rep. Ford at: 1804 W. Garden St., Pensacola, FL32501