Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two items of laws in Bradenton this week that his administration says are designed to guard Florida taxpayers, improve native authorities accountability, and assist future property tax reduction efforts.
DeSantis signed Senate Invoice 4-F and Home Invoice 1329, measures targeted on limiting native property tax will increase and requiring counties and municipalities to supply extra detailed monetary info to the general public.
“Florida has lowered its price range for 4 straight years and has demonstrated fiscal duty and respect for taxpayers,” DeSantis mentioned. “Now, we’re stepping in to guard taxpayers from taxes on the native degree.”
Senate Invoice 4-F is tied to the proposed constitutional modification referred to as “Save Our Properties from Extreme Property Taxes,” which is predicted to go earlier than voters in November 2026. The invoice adjustments how native governments calculate the utmost property tax fee they will approve with a easy majority vote.
Below present regulation, native governments can improve the rolled-back fee primarily based on development in Florida’s per-capita private earnings. The brand new laws removes that adjustment and usually limits the utmost levy to the usual rolled-back fee.
The invoice additionally raises the approval threshold for native governments that wish to undertake millage charges above the rolled-back fee. Millage charges as much as 110 p.c of the rolled-back fee would require a two-thirds vote of the governing physique. Charges above 110 p.c would require unanimous approval, a three-fourths vote for bigger governing boards, or approval from voters by a referendum.
Supporters of the measure say the adjustments will make it more durable for native governments to lift property tax collections with out broad public assist.
The laws additionally permits expanded poll abstract language for the proposed constitutional modification, which state officers say will give voters a clearer rationalization of the measure when it seems on the 2026 poll.
DeSantis additionally signed Home Invoice 1329, referred to as the Native Authorities Monetary Transparency and Accountability Act. The measure requires counties and municipalities to publish detailed monetary info on-line, together with price range summaries, revenues and expenditures, departmental spending, staffing info, reserve ranges, fund balances, and different price range paperwork.
The invoice additionally requires native governments to concern quarterly experiences on worker compensation and set up annual price range improvement calendars.
Some of the vital provisions of HB 1329 requires native governments to conduct a price range discount train earlier than adopting a remaining price range. Native officers should establish methods to scale back proposed spending by 10 p.c with out affecting important providers comparable to regulation enforcement, hearth safety, and different legally required authorities features.
Chief Monetary Officer Blaise Ingoglia praised the laws, saying it could give Floridians extra details about how native governments spend taxpayer {dollars}.
“Native governments have continued to develop their budgets by resorting to scare techniques like threatening cuts to important providers,” Ingoglia mentioned. “This pivotal piece of laws pulls the curtain again on native authorities’s wasteful spending in order that Floridians are higher geared up to carry their native officers accountable.”
The DeSantis administration says the brand new legal guidelines construct on broader efforts to scale back the tax burden on Florida households and improve oversight of native authorities spending.
Collectively, the measures are meant to supply stronger protections towards property tax will increase, give taxpayers larger entry to native price range info, and improve accountability for elected officers chargeable for managing public cash.
