[Shores9]

With the 60 day session scheduled to conclude next week on May 4th, legislators need to hear that comprehensive property tax reform for commercial and residential real estate is needed NOW, during the regular session.

The House continues to push for a property tax/sales tax swap but the idea is flatly opposed in the Senate. Governor Charlie Crist recently indicated he does not support a sales tax increase, but wants more relief than what the Senate proposes.

Please contact your legislator today and if you feel this has value please copy and paste this into and email and forward it to everyone you know

If you don’t know how to contact your State congressmen/woman you can go to the links below and follow the directions::

For the Florida House of Representatives
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sectio...sentative.aspx

For the Senate:
http://www.flsenate.gov/Legislators/...TOKEN=19040884

If you don’t know what to say or how to say it here is what I said:

To the Honorable << Fill in his or her name >>
As a constituent in your district, I urge you to pass significant property tax reform before the session is scheduled to end next week. This issue is paramount to the health and well being of our state’s economy.

Governor Crist weighed in with his proposals and there have been great ideas put forward by both the Senate and House. Here is what I support and encourage you to pass in the coming week:

- Roll back the local governments’ property tax base to 2001 levels.

- Allow for portability of Save Our Homes savings as soon as possible. And to prevent the real estate market from drying up before the necessary ballot vote, portability should be retroactive. Floridians cannot wait until 2009 for this to take effect.

- Ask voters to approve a $25,000 tangible personal property tax exemption for businesses.

- Provide first-time homebuyers with an additional break to encourage homeownership. This idea has been included in both the Governor and Senate tax reform package.

- Change the way property is assessed in Florida from “highest and best use” to “current use”. This issue and other great ideas are included in HB 261, as part of the House tax reform package.

- Call a special election in 2007 for the necessary changes to our state constitution.

These reforms will provide meaningful savings to Florida’s taxpayers while not severely affecting local governments’ basic services such as fire and police protection. They are realistic and achievable property tax reforms that can be agreed upon before you adjourn next week.

The citizens of Florida are counting on your leadership and action on this critical issue! I know you agree that Floridians need immediate tax relief on their commercial and residential properties and I put all my trust in you to make this happen. The economy of Florida depends on a robust and affordable real estate market. We need property tax reform now combined with continued efforts to conquer property insurance rate increases to bring back affordable homeownership to our state.

<<Your Name and Address>>

[Rhett_Butler]

Anyone else think that a State Tax is becoming inevitable???

One thing is for sure. The state isn't going to give up tax money so it's got to come from somewhere.....

[pianogal]

I don't agree with the idea of SOH...I think it's part of what caused our problems in the first place. I have friends who live in nice homes in upscale areas that pay 1300 a year property taxes...while I live in a home that is not as 'grand' in a new area that I'm hoping will become like a Winter Park as far as resale value but I still pay the lion's share of property tax 5K. I realize portability would have helped SOME....but in the long run I would eventually be paying the same elevated amount (I think the proposed increase is 10% a year until the full value is taxed?).

But this is not about me. SOH would benefit me eventually if I stay in Florida...BUT this is an unfair and unequal tax no matter how you look at it. If it's not addressed now, it will have to be addressed in a few years. If Everyone just paid a flat 1% minus a reasonable homestead, there would be money for what the state needs and no one would have to pay exaggerated taxes.

[TriMT7]

I have a friend staying with me who is a legislative aid to a Florida Representative during session.

I asked him at dinner yesterday what they had discussed on the House floor that day, and apparently they were debating some law having to deal with strip clubs, pimps, hos.... something like that.... and even some discussion of sex acts. I'm not making this up. Oh, AND it was "take your daughter to work" day, so there were lots of young girls in the gallery!


When I asked why the hell the House was discussing strip clubs when they SHOULD have been working on the tax issue some more, he said, "Gotta ask the House Leadership THAT question!"


Our government ALWAYS has its priorities out of whack!

[Shores9]

The argument is more about spending caps and rollback rate which will immediately help everyone. I agree that SOH is unfair but its not doable to eliminate it. It would not pass the necessary votes.

If government was forced to spend less then we all benefit and further down the line the SOH cap will catch up with the rest of the newer homeowners because the SOH will be getting tax increases when other don’t

Remember even if values go down SOH exemptions are still subject to tax increases until the SOH value and the market value equalize.

[FL_TN_Nana]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

I
When I asked why the hell the House was discussing strip clubs when they SHOULD have been working on the tax issue some more, he said, "Gotta ask the House Leadership THAT question!"


Our government ALWAYS has its priorities out of whack!

IN that case, maybe we SHOULD ask our House Leadership about that, especially since we're paying them while they have these little gab-fests. I'd love for a couple of newpaper columnists to get the publicity going on their actual discussions while supposedly in a crunch to get something done by next week!

[macguy]

Originally Posted by VAFury

Anyone else think that a State Tax is becoming inevitable???

One thing is for sure. The state isn't going to give up tax money so it's got to come from somewhere.....

It can't happen as far as I know. Florida Constitution makes it all but impossible without an amendment. Been that way since 1924 I believe and will never change.

[vicshabcottage]

Originally Posted by macguy

It can't happen as far as I know. Florida Constitution makes it all but impossible without an amendment. Been that way since 1924 I believe and will never change.

There was actually talk many years back about putting this amendment on the ballot. When it became clear that anyone sponsoring it would never win re-election it was canned!

[tallrick]

Of course the legislature will waste time on easy issues, most are career politicians who know that the average Floridian is too stupid to realize what a mess we are in. They aren't going to vote to cut off the gravy train that's the reason they ran for office are they? The house of representatives are closer to the people and therefore more likely to want to do something. The state senate is mostly a bunch of dead weight.

[firemed]

Governor Crist Proposes Property Tax Reform Plan

~ Would bring immediate, meaningful relief and address inequities in current system ~
~ 12 percent in 2007, 21.5 percent in 2008 ~

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced his suggestions for reducing the property tax burden by $34 billion on Florida ’s homeowners, businesses and renters over a five-year period. The Governor’s proposal would encourage home ownership while also capping runaway spending by local governments.

“This plan would provide immediate relief to both those who are barred from the American dream of owning their first home and those current homeowners who feel unable to move and trapped by skyrocketing property taxes,” Governor Crist said. “By providing immediate relief now along with a plan for future reductions, we can reverse the trend of high property taxes and make living in Florida more affordable.”

Details of the plan include four components, including immediately rolling back local government revenue caps to 2003 levels, with an allowance for inflation and growth. Under the Governor’s proposal, Florida homeowners will benefit from a 12 percent tax cut on their property taxes on their homestead in 2007 and 21.5 percent in 2008. This measure would provide the homeowner of an average-priced home of $290,000 a savings of $340 on their 2007 property taxes. Over five years, each present-day homeowner would save $1,987 in property taxes because property taxes would not continue growing at their current rate.

“The revenues of local governments have ballooned over $17 billion beyond a responsible growth rate during the past five years, taking money out of the taxpayers’ pockets,” Governor Crist said. “We must give the people of Florida hope that relief from this tax burden is on the way.”

Governor Crist also proposed three additional components that require a constitutional amendment for voter consideration. The constitutional amendment would phase in three additional savings for property owners by 2008:

- Provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. This measure would provide an additional average savings of $238. In addition to the tax rollback in 2007, the homeowner’s total savings would be an average of $601. If passed by voters in 2007, this property tax savings would begin in 2008.

- Make Save Our Homes Portable While Also Providing Assistance to First-Time Home Buyers. Governor Crist proposes making the Save Our Homes cap portable statewide so that homeowners can take their current tax savings with them when they move. In the first year alone, the homeowner who purchases an average-priced home of $290,000 is expected to save an additional $923 in property taxes. If passed by voters in 2007, this property tax savings would apply to individuals who buy homes in 2007 and would affect their 2008 taxes.

Because portability of the Save Our Homes cap applies only to existing homeowners, an additional measure would ensure that first-time home buyers in Florida and new residents to the state would also benefit. Governor Crist recommends providing a 25 percent exemption for first-time home buyers, which would provide a savings of $546, or 11.9 percent.

- Exempt the first $25,000 of businesses’ tangible personal property. Businesses would save $200 million annually on this property tax. If passed by voters in 2007, this property tax savings would also begin in 2008. By 2011, this exemption will save businesses a total of $800 million.

“I applaud House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt and the leadership of the House and Senate for their tireless work on exploring possible ways to reform property taxes,” Governor Crist said. “Now is the time to come together and find a way to relieve the financial burden on our citizens.”

Except for the exemption on businesses’ tangible personal property, Governor Crist’s property tax reform proposals do not affect funding for schools.

Earlier in the week, Governor Crist visited with about 300 citizens in Palm Beach Gardens and about 100 citizens in Orlando during town hall meetings to hear their concerns about rising property taxes. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp held similar town hall meetings in Punta Gorda and Pensacola .

“We are hearing over and over that Floridians need hope that their property taxes will come down so that they can continue living in Florida ,” Lt. Governor Kottkamp said. “This issue is impacting every Floridian, and it is time for us to make changes that will make Florida affordable once again.”