Although the specifics of such a proposal are still unknown, a majority of Floridians say that, if given the chance, they would vote for some form of property tax reform. That's according to a public opinion survey commissioned by the James Madison Institute (JMI) released on Monday.
If a constitutional amendment to significantly reduce or eliminate property taxes were on the ballot, 65% would support that. Only 15% oppose it, with 20% unsure.
Constitutional amendments in Florida must win 60% support to go into effect.
READ MORE: Could property taxes change in Florida? Lawmakers want them to
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been campaigning for months on the idea that Floridians want and need property tax relief, and has floated the idea that Florida could become the first state in the nation to completely eliminate them.
But property taxes pay for crucial local services like police, fire departments, and schools. A study by the Florida Policy Institute concluded that eliminating property taxes for homesteaded properties would cost $18.5 billion.
As a way to preempt those arguments by local government officials, Florida's recently appointed chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia, has been making appearances around the state calling out local governments for alleged "wasteful spending" (without specifying what reaches that definition).
Florida Speaker of the House Daniel Perez formed a select committee to study the issue earlier this year, and that group met twice last week in Tallahassee to determine how such a proposal could be written. It's expected that the Florida Legislature will approve a resolution for a constitutional amendment sometime during the 2026 legislative session, which begins in January, with the measure to appear on the November 2026 ballot.
On the philosophy of property taxes, 39% of those surveyed said they are a "valid" revenue source but should be limited. Another 33% said property taxes should be eliminated outright. Only 20% said they were critical for funding local government services and should be preserved. Another 8% weren't sure.
Sixty-six percent of Floridians worry they may not be able to afford to continue living in their homes or communities due to rising property taxes or other housing costs.
There were plenty of other nuggets in the JMI survey, including that 62% of Florida voters oppose a DeSantis administration proposal to eliminate vaccine requirements.
Jolly competitive in one-on-one matchups with top Republicans
Nearly one in three registered voters (30%) describe themselves as "politically homeless," feeling unrepresented by either the Democratic or Republican parties.
Regarding the 2026 gubernatorial race, in a hypothetical matchup between Republican Byron Donalds, Democrat David Jolly, and independent candidate state Sen. Jason Pizzo, Donalds leads Jolly, 36%-32%, with Pizzo at 4%.
In a three-way race with former House Speaker Paul Renner as the GOP candidate, Renner leads Jolly, 34%-33%, with Pizzo at 5%.
In a GOP race between Donalds and Renner, Donalds leads, 29%-9%.
But when Republican voters were asked for whom they would vote among "announced and potential candidates," it's First Lady Casey DeSantis who gets the most support. She leads Donalds 26%-23%, with Renner at 7%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 2%, and Agriculture Commission Wilton Simpson at 2%.
The survey's questions did not refer to the fact that Donalds has been endorsed by Donald Trump for president.
The survey of 1,200 registered voters in Florida was conducted by Targoz Market Research for the James Madison Institute between Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, with a margin for error +/- 2.77%.
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