Commentary: Property-tax reform requires refocusing

Florida’s economic success story is undeniable. People continue to move here, businesses are expanding here and the state has built a reputation across the world as a low-tax, pro-growth environment. But beneath that success lies a growing tension, one that Governor DeSantis has put front and center. Florida’s prosperity hasn’t translated into affordability.

The culprit, increasingly, is property taxes.

As a third-generation Floridian who has worked in the real estate industry for decades, I’ve seen the property tax issue snowball over the last few years. In fact, I wrote an op-ed about this topic last year (“No more property taxes? Is it too good to be true?” March 16, 2025) and have since changed my view on the matter. Here’s why.

For one, the cost of everyday life, groceries, gas, childcare and housing continues to climb. And while incomes have risen for some, they haven’t kept pace with the surge in expenses. The result is a quiet squeeze on household finances.

At the same time, property-tax collections have nearly doubled from $32 billion in 2019 to $60 billion today and are projected to reach $83 billion by 2031. That growth isn’t driven by higher tax rates alone, but by rising home values and population influx. Homeowners are paying significantly more each year simply because the market around them has changed.

That dynamic raises a fundamental question: should longtime Florida residents be taxed out of the very communities they helped build?

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