Dec. 5, 2025, 1:02 p.m. ET
Like the poor goat sacrificed after having sins symbolically laid on it, Palm Beach and other Florida counties that rely on ad valorem taxes are being scapegoated. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republicans in the Florida Legislature want to provide another tax cut, but this one will come on the backs of communities that rely on property taxes to pay for key services.
State lawmakers started the process with at least eight bills that would ask voters to change the Florida Constitution to allow property owners with homestead exemptions to receive bigger property tax breaks. The Legislature isn’t doing Floridians any favors with this convoluted approach. But, given the Republican zeal for cutting taxes and reining in local government spending, there will be a property tax cut question on the 2026 ballot.
