By Livia Caputo, Florida Phoenix
A Florida House committee met Monday to continue a search the best way to slash property taxes while educating lawmakers on how these levies both function and support key state institutions.
The 37-member property tax committee, co-chaired by Republican Reps. Vicki Lopez and Toby Overdorf spent four hours listening to lengthy presentations by top financial leaders on property taxes’ effect on public schools, homesteads, and fiscally constrained counties. It was the committee's third meeting since its creation during the 2025 session.
Related: Apopka City Council approves $235.7 million budget, lowers millage rate.
“We’re educating, obviously, right now, committee members, but hopefully the public is listening to what that would mean in terms of production of any kind of revenue in their businesses,” Lopez, from Miami, told reporters following the meeting. She noted how “complex” it is to determine how to cut property taxes while still keeping public institutions afloat.
Public schools are a state institution heavily reliant on property taxes paid by homeowners to local governments. According to Jim Zingale, executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue, property taxes make up roughly 47% of the funding that supports public schools, and the state foots the other 53%.
Lopez called this “very telling,” while Overdorf, representing Palm City, promised the Legislature would be “crafting” multiple avenues to slashing what some have dubbed the “most hated tax.” But it remains to be seen what that legislation would look like.
Monday’s meeting was largely informative of the property tax committee’s two-day meeting schedule this week. On Tuesday, a more contentious slate includes representatives of local governments explaining how they collect property taxes and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office, which will present information on his new “DOGE” task force, which has largely blamed local governments for wasteful spending fueled by high property taxes.
The crux of the dilemma is that property taxes provide a massive source of revenue for large counties like Miami-Dade and funds schools, firefighters, and police stations. Cutting them without providing an additional source of revenue, like raising the sales tax, would result in as much as a $50 billion loss to Florida counties, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
In 2008, then-Speaker of the House Marco Rubio proposed “the swap,” switching sales tax hikes for the property tax. It failed.
Property taxes statewide have risen by more than 45% since 2019, sparking public demands for financial relief. Although DeSantis has been chief among politicos pressuring for the tax to be either decimated or fully eliminated, he has yet to produce a plan beyond suggesting a $1,000 rebate for homesteaders.
DeSantis has eyed local governments as the largest cause for skyrocketing rates, noting that property taxes are collected by municipalities, cities, and counties — not the state. Editing the property tax rate would require an amendment to the Florida Constitution.
Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, a Belleview Republican, told reporters last week that he wants to impose new transaction fees and a slightly raised school sales tax to compensate for lost property tax revenue. This is the first comprehensive plan to be suggested ahead of the 2026 legislative session. However, convincing other conservatives to agree to raising taxes may prove difficult.
Other speakers on Monday included Amy Baker, coordinator for the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, and Lizette Kelly, who works in research and analytics in property tax oversight. They provided extensive information into the demographics of homesteaders (who tend to be older) and definitions of property tax terms including millage rates.
Millage rates are tax rates that local governments use to calculate property tax. It is the dollar amount assessed for each $1,000 of taxable value. This means that a homestead with $300,000 of taxable value at a millage rate of 3 mills for the city would be assessed at $900 for city taxes, Baker explained.
How would Apopka and Orange County respond?
Reducing property taxes in Florida could significantly impact Orange County and Apopka, which both rely heavily on property tax revenue to fund public schools, fire and police departments, and essential services. Any major cuts without compensating revenue sources could force the county and city to scale back services, delay infrastructure projects, or seek alternative funding through higher fees or sales taxes.
A reduction in property taxes might provide short-term financial relief for Apopka homeowners, but it could also mean fewer resources for schools and public safety, potentially affecting education quality and community services. Additionally, rapid changes in revenue could complicate the county’s budgeting process, leaving officials to balance fiscal responsibility with residents’ expectations for tax relief.
Disclosure: Some of the research, content, and sourcing for the Apopka/Orange County part of this article were produced using ChatGPT, an AI language model, to enhance research, generate ideas, or draft content. The Apopka Voice performed all final edits and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and alignment with our journalistic standards.
