Daniel Perez frustrated with inaction on property taxes by Gov. DeSantis, Senate

House Speaker Daniel Perez is voicing growing frustration that Florida’s push to overhaul property taxes has stalled, despite months of public calls for action from Gov. Ron DeSantis and early interest from Senate President Ben Albritton.

In an interview with WPLG’s Glenna Milberg, Perez said the House has already done its part and is now waiting on the state’s other top Republican leaders to follow through.

“Where’s our proposal on property taxes that the Governor proposed over a year ago?” Perez asked.

While the Governor has repeatedly floated the idea of eliminating or reducing property taxes, Perez said, no concrete plan has materialized.

“The Governor hasn’t proposed absolutely anything yet,” Perez said. “So, it’s kind of tough to hear this rhetoric over and over again.”

Last year, the House empaneled a special Committee on property taxes, vetted multiple proposals and ultimately passed one of them aimed at eliminating most ad valorem taxes on homesteaded properties while preserving school funding.

That measure, which opponents warned would kneecap local budgets and hamper public safety while hitting rural and residential communities the hardest, then died unheard in the Senate.

DeSantis, who criticized the bill and seven others filed in the House as “milquetoast” measures that voters would not “get excited about,” did not support the House-passed bill. But neither he nor the Senate advanced plans of their own, Perez noted, warning that DeSantis will soon lose their ability to do so.

“Time is ticking because he’s out of power any day now,” Perez said, adding that he still hopes a proposal emerges in time for lawmakers to place a constitutional amendment before voters this year.

“The people of Florida should have the right to vote at the ballot in November.”

The impasse follows more than a year of intense but inconclusive debate in Tallahassee. In recent years, House Republicans have advanced a range of proposals, from a targeted relief plan for seniors that the chamber passed in 2023 to more sweeping elimination plans.

DeSantis has said he’s holding back on releasing a proposal until the timing is “ripe,” suggesting a broader strategy around when to engage the Legislature. Meanwhile, lawmakers face competing priorities, including upcoming Special Sessions on redistricting and other issues, like an overdue state budget with a looming deadline.

The lack of a clear plan has left both lawmakers and the public in limbo. For Perez, the central issue remains a disconnect between rhetoric and action from Florida’s top leaders.

“I’m open to having a conversation about anything,” he said. “But it seems like I’m the only one.”