Legislative leaders say they have agreed to remain in special session until October 22 to try to cut property taxes. ...more

October 10, 2007

With negotiations on the state budget wrapped up, Gov. Charlie Crist is renewing his proposal to double the homestead exemption and offer some sort of portability of 'Save Our Homes' benefits to allow homeowners to keep significant property tax savings. ...more

October 10, 2007

SEBRING — The state Legislature's new plan for property tax relief — doubling the homestead exemption — would cost Highlands County government more in lost revenue than the lawmakers' original super exemption plan. ...more

October 10, 2007

Now that the Florida Legislature's much-touted property tax relief proposal is in limbo, it is time to take stock and consider alternatives. A proposal created by the state's county property appraisers, which advocates a universal tax break for all property owners , sounds practical and something that could be considered in part if a new plan is ever created. But for this and some other proposals to survive, the Legislature and the voters have to ask themselves a tough question: Is saving Save Our Homes Amendment worth the price it has extracted? ...more

October 9, 2007

SEBRING — When it comes to property tax relief, which the Legislature has promised but not fully provided yet, the state's county property appraisers are giving the lawmakers two bits of advice. First, simple is much better than complicated. And second, a universal tax break is better than knocking taxes down for some types of property but not for others. Highlands County Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre said those two points are the foundation of the proposal which the Property Appraisers Association of Florida is passing on to the Legislature. McIntyre, recently elected president of the appraisers association, said the group is calling for a five percent per year reduction in assessed tax value on all property for the next five years. ...more

October 9, 2007

House Speaker Marco Rubio is ready to give up efforts to phase out the popular Save Our Homes Amendment that gives primary homeowners protection against dramatic increases in property taxes. ...more

October 7, 2007

Two years ago, with Florida awash in tax dollars generated by a sizzling housing market, a nonpartisan public policy group forecast that when housing growth inevitably declined, the drop in tax revenue would mean the state would struggle to provide adequate services to its residents. ...more

September 30, 2007

SEBRING — The ruling of a circuit court judge has removed the property tax relief proposal from the Jan. 29 ballot, but the Legislature has time to reverse that action. ...more

September 26, 2007

Lawmakers are vowing to give property tax relief to Floridians despite a circuit court decision Monday that removed a constitutional amendment from January's statewide ballot. In doing so, the judge agreed with a South Florida mayor that the language of the ballot measure is misleading and improper. ...more

September 25, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Lawmakers are vowing to give property tax relief to Floridians despite a circuit court decision Monday that removed a constitutional amendment from the January statewide ballot. In doing so, the judge agreed with a South Florida mayor that the language of the ballot measure is misleading and improper. ...more

September 24, 2007