Rep. Ryan Chamberlin (R-Belleview) announced he intends to work on eliminating property taxes in the "Free" State of Florida with a string of bills during a press conference Wednesday in Tallahassee.
In a press release, Chamberlin announced filing HB 357 and HB 359 which would create a new $100,000 tax exemption on all properties, not just homesteads. According to Chamberlin, the pair of bills would provide "immediate relief" to Floridians.
He also mentioned working on the legislation with Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill). Notably, Chamberlin said the legislation would need final approval to pass.
In addition, Chamberlin filed HB 787 which would create a 2% cap on year-over-year property tax revenues. Under the bill, revenue collected over a 2% increase from the previous year would be returned in the form of a tax rebate or used to pay off debt.
HB 787 is being worked on alongside Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa).
The release said while a replacement for state property tax is in the works, Chamberlin was "confident" there was a better, fairer way to fund the government.
It also specified that any solution includes a "combination of savings from government efficiency" as well as a "combination of consumption taxes and fees tied to real transactions" without bureaucratic opinions of value.
Long in the works, Chamberlin mentioned filing a bill last session that sought funding for a study to estimate what it would take to replace the state property tax. He credited Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) for filing a similar bill for this session.
“I filed this bill last year for two reasons. The first is because, under the current system of property taxation, no one ever owns their own property," Chamberlin said. They just lease it from government. Think about it. If you can’t pay the property taxes on your home, family farm, or small business warehouse, your property will be seized by the state and given to someone else."
"The second reason is that our property tax system is unfair. Property taxes are collected on unrealized gains. These taxes aren’t collected on the actual value of a property when it is sold but on what some local government bureaucrat thinks it might be worth if you sold it right now. It’s time that we stop this nonsense," Chamberlin added.
While in the works, Chamberlin said any traction on the policy might take some time, possibly as much as seven or eight years. He also sai a plan is in the works to fund rural county governments to "ensure" no breaks in funding for students.
"This effort will require courage and a commitment to the people who have elected us, but the days of never owning your property are coming to an end! To get this done, it will require a movement, and that movement begins today," Chamberlin concluded.
For more information go to www.endpropertytaxnow.com
