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Article Courtesy of FOX 29 WFLX
By Matt Cszerny
Published November 4, 2025
Florida lawmakers are moving forward with eight proposals
aimed at reducing property taxes for homeowners, as rising costs continue to
burden residents across the state.
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State Rep. Toby
Overdorf, R-Stuart, chairs the Select Committee on Property
Taxes and said the panel has one clear objective: cutting
property taxes for Florida homeowners.
The committee has identified eight initial proposals for
potential relief, including eliminating non-school homestead
taxes, improving the homestead exemption, capping tax
increases and eliminating what’s known as portability
restrictions.
“We will not impact school taxes in any way, nor police and
fire,” Overdorf said.
However, other property taxes are being targeted for
potential cuts. One of Overdorf’s own proposals, House Joint
Resolution 211, would eliminate portability restrictions,
allowing homeowners to transfer their tax savings when they
move to a new property located in Florida.
“People within the state, even if they
downsize, would not get hit with a much higher property tax
bill?” WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny asked Overdorf on Friday. |
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State Rep. Toby Overdorf speaks with WFLX reporter
Matt Sczesny on Oct. 17, 2025, about new proposals to cut property
taxes in Florida.
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“That is correct. They could take that portability number
with them, and in some cases, they may actually not even have to pay
property taxes,” Overdorf said.
The proposals face the challenge of reducing funding for counties and cities
that rely on property tax revenue. Overdorf acknowledged this concern but
believes there’s room for cuts without affecting services.
“Right now, we’re approaching $60 billion just in property taxes across our
state. I sincerely believe there is an opportunity for pullback of that
revenue within local government and still receive the same services,”
Overdorf said.
The timeline for these proposals is moving quickly. Overdorf’s committee and
other legislative committees will begin studying the proposals next month,
with lawmakers potentially voting on them as early as January.
The Proposals at a Glance
Categorical Eliminations:
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HJR 201 (Rep. Steele): Eliminates non-school
property taxes for homesteads entirely.
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HJR 203 (Rep. Miller): Phases out those same
taxes over ten years, with an additional $100,000 exemption added each
year.
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HJR 205 (Rep. Porras): Exempts Florida
residents 65 and older from paying non-school property taxes on
homestead.
Additional Exemptions:
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HJR 207 (Rep. Abbott): Creates a new 25%
homestead exemption on non-school taxes — aiding current and first-time
homebuyers.
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HJR 209 (Rep. Busatta): Offers an extra
$100,000 exemption to homeowners who carry property insurance, intended
to ease overall housing costs.
Reforms:
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HJR 211 (Rep. Overdorf): Eliminates the cap on
“portability,” allowing homeowners to transfer their entire Save Our
Homes benefit to a new property, even if it’s of lesser value.
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HJR 213 (Rep. Griffitts): Adjusts caps on
taxable value growth — limiting increases to 3% over three years for
homesteads (currently 3% annually) and 15% over three years for
non-homesteads (currently 10% annually).
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HB 215 ( Rep. Albert): Would require a
two-thirds vote to raise local millage rates and allow newly married
couples to combine their Save Our Homes benefits.
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