Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to excuse the ongoing delays in releasing what seemed months ago to be a clean plan to eliminate homestead property taxes via constitutional amendment.
Rather than talk to legislators who will decide to put it on the ballot about it, he’s sharing his thoughts on why such a release isn’t “opportune” yet with friendly national media, such as the “Clay and Buck” Show.
DeSantis has given various reasons for the delay. Thursday’s softball interview didn’t disappoint those who wanted more excuses for why the plan first teased at the beginning of the year simply can’t be rolled out any time soon.
“I’m not prepared to do it yet because I don’t think it’s opportune to do it yet, but we will do it. And so it will be done before the Summer’s out, in time to be on the ballot,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said releasing the plan isn’t “opportune,” in part, because “entrenched interests” will come out against it.
“I think the entrenched interests are going to hate it, and I think they’re going to do everything they can do to fight,” he said.
Asked who the opponents of the plan actually are, DeSantis listed an ideologically diverse group of enemies.
“Teacher unions, local politicians, local bureaucrats. I mean, honestly, even business groups … like the predictability of what they have now,” he said, as do “politicians in both parties even to a certain extent.”
DeSantis seems to have abandoned completely a clean proposal, adding more caveats and escape clauses as he goes along.
Thursday’s comments saw them on offer again.
“I think a couple of the issues that we’ve got to make sure we get right … one is how quickly can you get to full exemption? Maybe you’ve got to phase it in. Look, that’s fine. I mean, I want to get it done,” DeSantis said.
“And then if people just decide to up and move here after it passes, should they then have to pay property tax for a time before they can qualify? I mean, if you’ve been here 20 years, you’ve paid, someone comes in right after the vote and does it. So we don’t want to create bad incentives for that. And then I’ve already said we will provide out of our surplus some financial support for the locals to get through this transition period.”
As we’ve observed before, it’s uncertain how enduring that surplus will be. The Long-Range Financial Outlook included projected budget deficits starting in Fiscal Year 2027-28 when it was presented last year.
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