Local government in Glades County is set to lose $4 million in revenue annually if voters approve the cuts to property taxes on the ballot this November.
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MOORE HAVEN- Local government in Glades County is set to lose $4 million in revenue annually if voters approve the cuts to property taxes on the ballot this November.
According to data released by the state of Florida’s Revenue Estimating Conference in June, local governments throughout the state will lose $12 billion annually in revenue by early next decade. By 2031-32, Glades County would be looking at roughly $4.1 million per year in foregone non-school property tax revenue.
The Glades County government itself absorbs most of that loss, about $3.73 million once fully phased in. The county's independent special districts pick up around roughly $280,000, and the City of Moore Haven absorbs $98,000.
The dollar amounts are a fraction of what larger counties like Miami-Dade would see, with each looking at about a $1 billion in revenue loss. But smaller counties like Glades tend to run leaner budgets with less cushion to absorb recurring revenue loss, meaning a multimillion-dollar annual reduction can carry more relative weight locally, even if the statewide total is comparatively small.
Florida lawmakers voted on June 2 to approve a constitutional amendment proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would ask voters to begin phasing out property taxes on homesteaded homes.
The proposed constitutional amendment would need approval from 60% of voters to take effect. If passed, it would gradually increase the homestead exemption on primary residences from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, after which it would be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. New Florida residents who arrive after December 31 this year would have to wait five years before qualifying for the benefit.
The proposal also required local governments to use remaining property taxes solely for core public needs, including public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, and natural resources.
The amendment would also tighten protections for non-homestead properties by cutting the cap on annual assessment increases from 10% to 5%.
