Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the other counties may be 1.5, maybe 2, but we're talking about a 1% sales tax.
• Now, whenever you passed this sales tax in Iron County, did that tax apply to Shannon County? No.
• We looked at that, zone that they could have got a 50% tax abatement in the county.
• Like I say, these taxes were voted on in our county by the vote of the people.
• Jimmy County, and I'm also the chairman of the board for St. Jimmy County 911 Services Tax Board.

Committee: House Rules - Legislative

Summary: The Missouri House Legislative Rules Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2243, sponsored by Rep. Bryant-Wolfen, which would repeal a 2021 provision that exempted certain manufacturing and mining-related industries from local sales tax. The sponsor argued the change unintentionally stripped counties of revenue they had already approved through local votes, shifting the burden onto ordinary Missourians and leaving local governments without a replacement source of funding. Committee members questioned whether the bill would amount to a tax increase, whether a referendum or local voter approval should be required, and whether the measure could discourage investment or job growth. The sponsor said the bill simply restores local taxing authority and noted the fiscal note showed roughly $35 million in local revenue at stake statewide. Testimony in support came from local officials from Iron County, Adair County, and St. Genevieve County, including commissioners, a sheriff, and a 911 board official. They said the exemption reduced revenue for roads, ambulance service, law enforcement, and 911 operations, forcing service cuts and higher local levies. Iron County witnesses said the loss hit a county dependent on mining and reduced ambulance coverage and sheriff funding; Adair County officials said the exemption affected expected revenue from a large solar project and other energy infrastructure; St. Genevieve County officials cited sharp monthly declines in sales tax receipts and said inflation made the loss even more severe. Supporters emphasized that these were locally approved taxes and that the affected companies still benefit from county services. Opposition came from Associated Industries of Missouri, which argued the original exemption was part of Missouri’s effort to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision and keep tax rules uniform for out-of-state sellers. The group warned that removing the exemption could make Missouri’s tax system less simple and potentially jeopardize local use-tax collections statewide, with a much larger possible revenue loss if the law were challenged. The committee chair said the hearing would continue with a hard stop for floor business, and at the end of testimony he indicated he planned to take executive action on the bill later in the week. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the city, the counties, and the state pay zero on property tax.
• Applied only to your county taxes and not to your taxes for schools or other independent districts.
• your taxes for schools. applied only to your county taxes and not to your taxes for schools or other
• So the county and schools go first, set their hearing times up; the other taxing authorities So the county
• They're a special taxing district that is dependent to the county, would be part of the county millage-setting

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we looked at the counties, their number one source was taxes.
• Looking at page eight, the county reliance on ad valorem taxes, two of my counties are very in the lowest
• Looking at page eight, the county reliance on Avalorum taxes, two of my counties are very in the lowest
• and it looks like from 2019 that ad valorem taxes comprise over 70% of county-level tax revenue in many
• So you start in the county like I have, Walton County, where I live: for the 2023 tax rolls, we collected

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And whether you're in a rural county or in an urban county, the personal property tax affects you no
• I mean, Boone County is 20% of our total tax revenue.
• or consumption tax, Someone like my counties, when we talk about a sales tax or consumption tax or anything
• what any rural county can do from sales tax.
• The State Tax Commission said, if you don't increase the taxes at all in Platte County, you will fall

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• governments at a very high level, the role of counties and property taxes, some important property tax
• </c><00:04:46.320><c> forfeited</c> County run we administer tax forfeited County run we administer tax
• It's also worth noting that the county is collecting the property taxes, and not just for the county,
• </c> otherwise would um when County tax otherwise would um when County tax levies<00:14:02.160><c> are
• They're one property-tax-based county. They have the highest property tax rate year over year.

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• These include counties, cities, townships, school districts, and special taxing districts.
• The county then collects the tax and distributes those funds to each of the local jurisdictions.
• Currently, the counties are calculating tax rates and calculating tax due on individual properties.
• The other formula distributes aid based on county tax base makeup, so counties that have lower tax bases
• </c><00:28:09.080><c> tax</c> distributes Aid based on um County tax distributes Aid based on um County

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Why not let the people who have voted to approve those county and municipal taxes keep their tax and
• Well, the average sales tax rate collected in St. Louis County is just over 9%.
• Louis County that don't collect any property taxes.
• Louis County that don't collect any property taxes.
• So have you had any contact with taxing authorities within any counties to see?

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• of cities and counties, and how often they have adopted tax rates at the voter approval tax rate.
• For counties, 13 percent of counties approved adopted tax rates at the VADER, and 23 percent of counties
• The counties, most of the counties do not receive property, I mean sales tax. Do you get sales tax?
• There are many counties, especially rural counties, that receive zero sales tax.
• Johnson County is one of those counties. We get zero sales tax.

Bills: SB9 , SB 9

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• I have 70 MUDs out of the 140 taxing units. in Williamson County, their tax rates rival that of school
• The entire tax bill and over the taxing units that are taxing the the property owners in in that county
• County, those muds. have their own tax assessor collectors.
• Their taxes are collected by Dallas County.
• I live in Tarrant County, so I get a Tarrant County tax bill you know, it causes a lot of confusion.

Committee: House S/C on Property Tax Appraisals

Transcript Highlights:

• The blue line is the increase in city and county— Property tax levies in the same period.
• Travis County has actually been on the floor of this tax rate transparency process.
• tax rates, as do many counties, so much of this information is already covered.
• Are you aware of any county or... City that has had a tax rate rejected by the voters.
• And you know what we counties get? We get property tax.

Bills: HB17 , HB23 , SB 10

Committee: House Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• levied by counties and municipalities, and to provide... ...on the use of ad valorem taxes levied by
• The third action for property tax relief is provided by requiring counties and municipalities to increase
• On the expenditure side, the joint resolution requires county and city property tax revenues to be used
• tax, which again, I will repeat again, will cost Duval County, one of the most affordable counties in
• We will be addressing the cities and counties that need guardrails and ceilings on their tax rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• and you know just some Jefferson County and you know just some taxing<00:14:10.320><c> districts</c>
• where multiple counties form an economic development taxing district within city limits.
• Licensed Tax Administrators Association from Spencer County, and Scott Hall, who runs the Scott County
• c> Tax</c> Boone County Occupational Tax Boone County Occupational Tax Administrator,<00:37:55.520><c
• ,</c><00:43:33.200><c> tax</c><00:43:33.520><c> administrators,</c> cities, counties, tax administrators

Summary: The committee received reports on special purpose governmental entities from the Department for Local Government and the Fire Commission. DLG staff described SPGEs as limited-jurisdiction political subdivisions and reviewed the department’s registry, reporting portal, compliance monitoring, and planned system upgrades such as a two-way message center, automated noncompliance notices, and tracking for new entities and board expirations. They reported that, as of October 10, 2025, 69% of SPGEs were active and discussed compliance data by cycle, fiscal year, and district type. The Fire Commission reported that fire department mergers have reduced the number of departments by 16 since last year, largely because of volunteer staffing shortages, while financial disclosure compliance had risen to 94%. The commission also noted 509 compliance reviews, 19 in-house inquiries, seven referrals to outside agencies, and one recent federal prison sentence in a theft case. Members asked whether DLG advises SPGEs on tax rates; staff said it only performs calculations and the entities set their own rates. Questions to the Fire Commission focused on whether department reductions meant station closures; officials explained that most changes were mergers that keep physical buildings in place while combining personnel and finances to meet minimum staffing requirements. They said the trend is spread across the state but is especially pronounced in rural areas. The Kentucky League of Cities then presented its 2026 legislative agenda. Its priorities included modernizing city revenue options, increasing equity in road funding, fixing tax increment financing issues, addressing transient room tax collection from web-based platforms, strengthening emergency response coordination, clarifying massage parlor regulation preemption, correcting unintended consequences of House Bill 606, improving newspaper publication rules, and modernizing procurement statutes. KLC also said it supports allowing all cities to collect restaurant tax revenue, wants cities to receive a larger share of road funds and EV-related revenues, and seeks state collection and remittance of any future local sales tax to comply with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. Members asked about best-value bidding, road-fund equity, Airbnb tax litigation, EV prevalence, and disaster funding applications; KLC said cities currently must accept the lowest bid, the road split should better reflect city street costs, the Airbnb tax case remains pending, EV data by locality has not been studied, and allowing cities to apply directly for disaster funds would reduce reliance on county officials. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the September meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third action for property tax relief is provided by requiring counties and municipalities to increase
• On the expenditure side, the joint resolution requires county and city property tax revenues to be used
• Once we get to full elimination of property tax, which again I will repeat, will cost Duval County, one
• We will be addressing the cities and counties that need guardrails and ceilings on their tax rates.
• We will be addressing the cities and counties that need guardrails and ceilings on their tax rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties.
• So really, it's a bonus to the counties or to the taxing districts if somebody chooses to just pay at
• Five of those eight counties outsourced the tax statement printing, and based on the cost per statement
• taxes go.
• And again, like the counties are issuing this tax statement on behalf of all the taxing districts.

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and focused primarily on property tax statement issues tied to the primary residence credit and the 5% early-payment discount. North Dakota Association of Counties representatives said the current special-session language creates problems because the discount is being applied even when no taxes are ultimately owed, and because the discount is calculated before the PRC funds are actually received. They recommended reverting to the prior law so the discount is applied after the PRC, and noted that all four programmers said they could revert the software to the earlier version if needed. The committee also reviewed a bill draft to remove the legislative tax relief line item from the required contents of the property tax statement. Members agreed the current line item is not especially accurate or useful on the statement, and several members said the committee should go further by adding clearer taxpayer education, such as a pie chart or other supplemental breakdown of where property taxes go. County officials said some counties already provide supplemental charts or explanatory material, but others would need help with printing, mailing, or formatting. To support that idea, staff presented a second bill draft creating a grant program, administered through the Association of Counties with OMB as a pass-through, to reimburse counties for supplemental property tax statement information and related administration. After discussion, the committee voted unanimously to combine the two bill drafts into one recommendation and forward it to the full Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee. The subcommittee then voted to adjourn after directing staff to prepare its summary and recommended bill draft for the interim report.

Transcript Highlights:

• And yet we're trying to justify keeping these taxes so that cities and counties can have revenue.
• But this is not the time to look at how we fund taxes and counties and cities by extending something
• Sixty-five of the 67 counties in Florida do levy some sort of local option sales tax.
• Sixty-five of the 67 counties in Florida do levy some sort of local option sales tax.
• or sub-county special taxing district decide 15% of the electors in the county or sub-county special

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 20, 2025, and first approved HB 4025, creating the Duke Farm Stewardship District in Lee County, on a 17-0 vote. The committee then advanced HJR 1215, which proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt agricultural tangible personal property from property tax, after extended debate about the fiscal impact on counties, especially rural and fiscally constrained ones; it passed 16-1. HB 411 also passed unanimously after an amendment, extending affordable housing tax exemption treatment to certain nonprofit projects on leased land, including Habitat for Humanity projects. The committee likewise approved CS/HB 669, allowing local governments to purchase certain unrated bonds, and CS/HB 4017, codifying the Vermont Drainage District charter in Charlotte County, both without opposition. The committee also approved HJR 1039, which would let the Legislature prevent assessed-value increases for homestead properties that are improved to mitigate flood damage, and the related implementing bill HB 1041; both passed 17-0. Public testimony on these items included some opposition to the flood-related amendment, but no floor debate changed the outcome. The final major item was CS/HB 1221 by Rep. Miller, which would require local option taxes to be renewed by voter referendum every eight years, with longer terms allowed for bonded projects. That bill drew the most extensive testimony and debate, with counties, tourism groups, and local officials warning about impacts on tourism funding, infrastructure, schools, and public safety, while supporters argued for taxpayer accountability and periodic review. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably on a 13-4 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third action for property tax relief is provided by requiring counties and municipalities to increase
• On the expenditure side, the joint resolution requires county and city property tax revenues to be used
• tax, which again, I will repeat again, will cost Duval County, one of the most affordable counties in
• And Duval County alone, at the height of the $463 million elimination of property tax, our residents
• We will be addressing the cities and counties that need guardrails and ceilings on their tax rates.

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment on property tax reform. The measure would increase the homestead exemption in stages, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses such as public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee benefits, and certain administrative costs. Supporters, led by Senator Avila, argued the proposal would provide meaningful property tax relief and push local governments to rein in spending, while opponents warned it would shift costs to fees, reduce local flexibility, and threaten funding for core services. Several amendments were offered and rejected. Senator Sharief proposed an income-based circuit breaker for property tax relief; Senator Smith offered a sunset clause; and Senator Berman proposed revising the ballot statement to better match the amended proposal and remove outdated references. Each amendment failed on recorded votes. During questioning and debate, senators pressed Avila on the ballot language, the effect on local services, whether the legislature could later restrict local spending by statute, and whether renters would benefit. Avila said the ballot language was not his and repeatedly stated he was presenting the governor’s proposal, while also saying local governments would need to prioritize budgets and that future legislatures could address implementation details. After the amendment votes, the joint resolution was read a third time and moved into final debate. Supporters said the proposal would give homeowners relief and force fiscal discipline at the local level. Opponents, including Senators Nathan, Bracey Davis, Smith, Polsky, and Errington, argued the measure was rushed, lacked a completed fiscal analysis or replacement revenue, and could harm police, fire, libraries, parks, housing, and other local services. They also criticized the ballot summary as misleading, especially regarding the staged homestead exemption increase. The transcript ends during debate, before any final vote on the joint resolution itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your county taxes are on there, your school taxes, your water management district, your city.
• We're now going to move to our second presentation of the day on county property taxes.
• it to you, okay, 32 counties—so almost half—property taxes lead.
• , new taxes in our county have generated just over $339 million in additional revenue.
• Since 2023, taxes, new taxes in our county have generated just over $339 million in additional revenue

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes heard first from city representatives through the Florida League of Cities, who argued that property taxes are a stable local revenue source that funds core services such as police, fire, parks, public works, and stormwater work. Casey Cook emphasized that cities are optional governments with widely different tax bases and service levels, that exemptions shift the burden to fewer taxpayers, and that transparency already exists through TRIM notices, public budgets, and local hearings. Sarah Campbell of Fernandina Beach, T. Michael Stavris of Winter Haven, and Stephen O’Kee of Port St. Lucie described their budget processes, the share of general-fund revenue coming from property taxes, reserve policies, debt and capital planning, and the impact of inflation, minimum wage increases, and personnel costs. They all said local governments need predictable revenue and that any property tax changes would require careful consideration of replacement funding or service reductions. Members questioned the city panel about whether homebuyers are clearly informed about city versus county taxes and services, the role of HOAs, how many lobbyists cities employ, reserve levels, average salaries, and whether utility revenues are used only for utility purposes. The panel said TRIM notices, realtor listings, and city websites provide tax information; HOAs generally do not provide emergency services; lobbyists help local governments track Tallahassee legislation; reserves vary by city and fund; and utility revenues are generally restricted, though some cities use limited transfers. Members also asked about revenue replacement if ad valorem taxes were reduced or eliminated, and the panel said options would likely include user fees, service cuts, or other local revenue shifts. The chair also asked about public safety consolidation, and the response was that such decisions are local and may shift costs rather than create true savings. The committee then heard from county representatives after an overview by the Florida Association of Counties’ Davin Suggs, who framed counties as shared partners with the state and emphasized the gap between rising market values and the shrinking share of taxable value after exemptions and assessment limits. He said counties face a mismatch between revenue based on taxable value and expenses driven by real-world costs, and noted that most counties either held millage steady or lowered it without reaching rollback rates. He also highlighted that property taxes are only one part of county revenue, with charges for services and intergovernmental revenue often larger in some counties, and that public safety at the county level includes more than law enforcement, such as EMS, emergency management, inspections, and corrections. Deborah Manzo of Okeechobee County described a fiscally constrained rural county with limited staff, a county-supported airport, heavy reliance on property taxes for the general fund, and major cost pressures from inflation, insurance, retirement, and state and federal mandates. She said the county lowered millage slightly over recent years but still depends on multiple revenue sources and special assessments, and she flagged Medicaid, medical examiner costs, and possible firefighter workweek changes as significant concerns. Bay County Administrator Mark McQueen said his county’s budget is shaped by Hurricane Michael recovery, non-discretionary obligations, and rapid growth; he described ongoing FEMA reimbursement delays, substantial borrowing to cover disaster costs, and continuing interest expenses while the county waits for reimbursement. The county panel was still in progress when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Current law authorizes public library districts for a few counties to impose a sales tax up to a half
• sales tax and property taxes, public libraries in Missouri can only ask voters for property taxes, with
• sales tax or property taxes to sales tax.
• And the sales tax rate to be equivalent would be about a half-cent sales tax in St. Charles County.
• They protect voter-approved taxes from unintended consequences tied to county reclassification while

Committee: House Local Government, Elections and Pensions

Summary: The Committee on Local Government held a public hearing on Senate Substitute No. 2 for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1023, sponsored by Senator Justin Brown. The bill would expand the existing authority for certain public library districts to ask voters for a sales tax, with provisions to reduce or eliminate property tax levies in some cases. Brown explained that the bill includes special carve-outs for St. Charles County, where any sales tax would be paired with a dollar-for-dollar property tax rollback over a three-year phase-out, and for Cass and Johnson counties, where the sales tax cap would be 0.33% and property tax levies would be eliminated. The bill also allows circuit courts to collect a civil case filing surcharge of up to $15 for law library maintenance. Supporters testified that the measure would give libraries more flexible and diversified funding options, similar to other local taxing entities. Library officials from Scenic Regional, St. Charles City-County, Marshall Public Library, and Kansas City Public Library said most library revenue still comes from property taxes and argued that the bill would let local voters decide whether to shift some or all funding to sales tax. They described needs such as expanding services, building new branches, renovating facilities, and protecting voter-approved taxes from uncertainty tied to county reclassification litigation. The Missouri Library Association said the bill serves as a safeguard amid broader discussions about property tax reform. There was no opposition testimony. Committee members raised questions about the fairness of shifting library funding to sales tax, especially for nonresidents who may not use the services, and about how the St. Charles amendment would work. Several members spoke in support of libraries and the bill, while one member criticized the tone of the sponsor’s response to questioning. At the close of the hearing, the chair announced the committee would executive the bill on Monday and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third action for property tax relief is provided by requiring counties and municipalities to increase
• On the expenditure side, the joint resolution requires county and city property tax revenues to be used
• tax, which again, I will repeat again, will cost Duval County, one of the most affordable counties in
• And Duval County alone at the height of the $463 million elimination of property tax, our residents will
• We will be addressing the cities and counties that need guardrails and ceilings on their tax rates.

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand homestead property tax relief, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses. Senator Avila presented the measure as a major property tax reform intended to provide relief to homeowners and restrain local government spending, while opponents argued it would shift costs to fees, services, and state appropriations and could harm local budgets, public safety, schools, and other services. Several senators also raised concerns about the ballot language and the lack of a completed fiscal analysis. The chamber considered and rejected multiple amendments. Senator Sharif’s income-based “circuit breaker” amendment failed, as did Senator Smith’s sunset clause amendment and Senator Berman’s amendment to rewrite the ballot statement for greater accuracy. During questioning, Avila said the revised language was meant to preserve flexibility for local governments and that future legislatures could set implementing procedures and, if necessary, prohibit certain local expenditures by general law. He also confirmed that the proposal would not affect refinancing or portability, and said the measure would not prevent local governments from continuing to fund many services such as libraries, parks, animal control, code enforcement, mosquito control, public housing, county health departments, and elections. Debate on final passage was extensive. Supporters described the proposal as overdue relief for homeowners and a way to force local governments to prioritize spending, while critics called it a risky tax shift that could reduce local revenue by billions and force cuts or higher fees. Some senators emphasized concerns about public safety funding, mental health and social services, and the accuracy of the ballot summary; others argued the measure would give voters a chance to decide on property tax reform. After debate, the resolution was rolled over for third reading and the Senate continued discussion, but the transcript provided does not include a final vote on the joint resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• county board of commissioners to adopt by resolution how the tourism tax money is spent.
• them to property taxes, to reduce down the cost of property taxes for the residents of a county in the
• My community is one of the largest contributors of tourist tax into the county coffers.
• My community is one of the largest contributors of tourist tax into the county coffers.
• So Miami-Dade County, two particular issues I have with this, the tourist tax and our homeless tax.

Summary: The State Affairs Committee met with a quorum present and took up several measures. It first considered HJR 1215, an ad valorem tax exemption for farmers and agricultural lands. The committee adopted an amendment making technical changes and removing a requirement that implementing language be set by general law. Several agricultural and business groups supported the measure, and it was reported favorably by a vote of 22-4. The committee then heard CS for CS for HB 1169, a bill revising water management district planning, budgeting, reporting, and business practices, including restrictions on lobbyist expenditures and additional budget disclosures. An amendment removing the statutory section on management review teams was adopted after debate over whether those teams were still useful. The bill was reported favorably 19-8-7. Members then debated PCS for CS for HB 1221, which would redirect local option tourist development tax revenues toward property tax relief and give counties more control over certain local taxes. County, tourism, beach preservation, and hospitality groups opposed the bill, warning it would weaken tourism marketing, beach renourishment, and local services, while supporters argued it would provide property tax relief and accountability. The bill passed 14-12. Finally, the committee considered HB 4079, which would dissolve the town of White Springs. The sponsor and supporters described years of mismanagement, intimidation, and illegal conduct, while opponents argued dissolution was an extreme step and pointed to the ongoing election and other remedies. After extensive public testimony and debate, the bill was reported favorably 19-6. The committee then adjourned.