TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s property tax showdown is escalating, as Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins throws his full support behind Governor Ron DeSantis’ call for a single, all-encompassing amendment in 2026. The duo rejecting the Florida House’s multi-proposal plan as confusing and weak.
DeSantis has previously dismissed the House’s eight-part reform package, which includes seven proposed constitutional amendments and one bill, as "milquetoast." He argues multiple measures would confuse voters and doom any chance of passing meaningful reform by meeting Florida’s 60% voter-approval threshold.
Collins echoed that stance, on Thursday, saying there should be only one question on the ballot — an initiative to fully exempt homesteaded Floridians from property taxes.
"Remember the movie the Highlander back in the day? 'There can only be one,' right?" Collins said. "You can't have six or seven or eight different things. It just confuses the ballot. It actually confuses the people right now. What does what? Where the lines?"
The House package, unveiled last month by Speaker Danny Perez, would give voters a menu of choices to reduce property taxes. Ideas, crafted by the Select Committee on Property Taxes, range from new senior exemptions to caps on property value increases. That’s while preserving about $21 billion in local school funding.
Perez has defended the plan as giving voters the power to decide, but the Governor and his team see it as “half measures.”
Collins said DeSantis’ proposal is being refined now, with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility and protecting essential services.
"I’m going to say this as a guy with 10 fingers and five toes, math always wins," Collins said. "We’re going to do the math. The Governor’s already done the preliminaries. Do you think he’d be talking about this if it wasn’t functionally possible? Don’t bet against DeSantis. The guy’s been proven right so many times."
Despite repeated assurances that local governments will be able to afford the cuts, Democrats continue to warn that both Republican proposals could devastate city, county, and school district budgets.
"I’m not comfortable seeing my city parks charge a fee for kids to play or having fewer police and firefighters," said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D–Tampa). "That’s not worth the loss of critical local services."
Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (D–Parkland) added, "We might end up changing communities in a way people didn’t sign up for."
Collins brushed off those concerns as "political games," saying municipalities are already "doing cheetah flips" over the idea of losing revenue.
"Stop the crap," he said. "One bill. Let’s do the hard work to get there and show people we’re going to earn their trust."
The Governor’s proposal hasn’t been released yet, but Collins says it’s coming soon, and that DeSantis will unveil it "at his own pace." When it arrives, it could set up one of the biggest battles of the 2026 legislative session and another test of how far Florida is willing to go on property tax reform.
Share Your Story with Forrest
Capitol Reporter Forrest Saunders is dedicated to sharing your voice with political leaders throughout the state. He works to hold our elected leaders accountable and amplify your concerns. Let Forrest know about the issues you want state leaders to focus on.
.
Florida contractor accused of taking thousands for countertops that were never installed
Two Tampa Bay customers say Elite Countertops owner Jose Canete took thousands in deposits but never installed promised quartz countertops.
