Crist Calls For More Property Tax Cuts

The rock has not dropped far enough for Gov. Charlie Crist.

The Republican governor, who promised two years ago to make property taxes "drop like a rock," threw his support behind four more tax relief proposals Friday to follow up on measures passed in 2007 and 2008.

Those two pieces of legislation - a law and a state constitutional amendment - helped reduce property taxes an average of 3 percent annually after a steady stream of increases averaging 10 percent. Falling property values also contributed to those drops.

"We must keep property taxes low and local government fiscally responsible," Crist said. "The taxpayers of Florida deserve nothing less."

The new measures include three proposed constitutional amendments that wouldn't go before voters until November 2010 - when Crist likely is running for re-election or the U.S. Senate - unless lawmakers are willing to spend millions on a special election.

One proposed amendment would put spending caps on cities, counties and other local governments with allowances for inflation and growth in new construction. Another would give tax breaks to first-time home buyers and non-homeowner taxpayers.

The third would bar tax increases for primary homeowners if their property values go down. That can happen now under the existing Save Our Homes Amendment, which limits assessment increases on primary homes to the rise in the Consumer Price Index or 3 percent, whichever is less. If values, though, decline assessments can increase according to the same criteria.

Other legislation has been filed to accomplish the same thing without a constitutional amendment.

Crist also is supporting a bill that would help taxpayers who appeal assessments. It would repeal an existing provision that presumes elected property appraisers' assessments are correct, which makes it harder but not impossible for taxpayers to win.

Florida Association of Counties spokeswoman Cragin Mosteller said putting spending caps on local governments could make the recession in Florida worse.

"When it comes to caps, we've seen in other states, particularly Colorado, where that has just failed miserably and totally devastated their economy," she said.

Mosteller said it would result in more layoffs and less spending on economic stimulus projects such as road building and other public works.

Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, said it's hypocritical to cut property taxes while accepting federal stimulus money.

"Those dollars are meant to enhance education, to enhance city and county government and help with our infrastructure," Blanton said. "I don't know how you can do both things."