U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) expressed his support for a proposed constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot in November to slash property taxes while swiping at the media and Democrats.
"I support any tax or fee cut and I am going to be voting for it," Scott shared on social media this week. "The media wants to divide Republicans. It’s wrong. Republicans are debating the best ways to reduce spending and return more money to taxpayers. Meanwhile, Democrats want higher taxes, higher spending. They want a permanent gravy train."
Sen. Scott also brushed off concern the amendment, which requires 60% approval, would result in cuts to critical services across counties and cities across the state. Florida Democrats relayed the concern earlier this week.
"I know people are concerned with budget cuts in their counties and obviously no one wants to see critical services like fire, police, or schools cut," Scott shared. "But I guarantee you every county has waste to cut. That’s just a fact. So every single county needs to go through and find all their waste and get rid of it."
Scott advocated the cut's importance amid Florida's growing affordability crisis. According to a University of North Florida poll, affordability and cost of living are a major concern among Florida voters.
"Families in Florida need this tax cut - the state has become increasingly unaffordable but we can’t lose critical services. That’s why these counties have to start getting rid of the junk," Scott commented.
The proposed constitutional amendment (Amendment 3) to cut property taxes will be voted on Nov. 3. If passed, the amendment would exempt the first $150,000 of a homestead property's assessed value from the current $50,000 rate starting in 2027 followed by a $250,000 exemption increase in 2028 on most local levies.
"The question isn’t IF we should cut spending and return that money to Florida families. It’s HOW we do it," Scott commented. "Republicans are fighting for common sense. Democrats are fighting for bloat, bureaucracy, and waste."
