(The Center Square) — Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, weighed in on the tax relief debate, saying in a letter to the Senate that he favors an “all of the above” approach.
The letter comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, have unveiled competing tax cut proposals in recent days.
DeSantis unveiled his plan on Monday that would spend $5.1 billion to give the 5.1 million homesteaded properties a one-time, $1,000 rebate. The second-term Republican governor also wants an initiative placed on the 2026 ballot that would provide permanent relief for Florida homeowners.
According to a report by the Florida Policy Institute, property taxes account for $43 billion in revenue annually and 50% to 60% of school district budgets.
Perez’s plan would permanently cut the state’s sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. In fiscal year 2024, sales tax collections totaled nearly $41.2 billion.
DeSantis said he would prefer property tax reform because it would help Floridians, not visiting tourists.
Albritton wants to find a middle ground between the two competing proposals.
“I applaud Governor DeSantis for pursuing an innovative concept, and I like the idea of being able to provide some immediate relief to homesteaded property owners in advance of a more comprehensive effort to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot for voters to consider,” Albritton said on Monday. “I like that the House’s proposal is broad-based and would provide immediate relief for Floridians who rent, as well as those who own property. These are both significant ideas, worthy of our thought and consideration.
“However, at this point, I believe it is prudent that a final tax cut package of this size be predominantly nonrecurring, while permanent tax cuts are explored during the interim.”
Albritton also said that he doesn’t want to cut taxes now and have to raise them in a few years due to a budget shortfall.
