Property tax cuts could hurt renters, hospitals, cities. Here are 5 takeaways

Florida lawmakers are pushing proposals to slash or eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties, with voters potentially deciding the issue in November. But a series of Miami Herald editorials warns the cuts could backfire on renters, local hospitals, small municipalities and lower-income residents.

FULL EDITORIALS:

The hidden cost of dumping property taxes no one’s mentioning in Miami

The biggest losers in Florida property tax cuts? Look at renters

3 problems Florida Republicans are missing in their property tax cuts approach

‘It would destroy us:’ Your South Florida city could bear the brunt of tax cuts

Here are the highlights:

• Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County’s safety-net hospital, could lose as much as $100 million a year in operating money under a full tax rollback, CEO Carlos Migoya told the Herald Editorial Board. The system includes seven hospitals, two nursing homes and a transplant center.

• Renters would see no direct benefit from the cuts and could end up paying more. A Florida League of Cities study found that commercial and rental properties would possibly see higher taxes, which landlords would pass on to tenants. Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes called it “a regressive tax on renters who receive no benefit and ultimately pay higher rents.”

• Ten Miami-Dade municipalities where homesteaded properties make up the largest share of the tax base — including Miami Shores, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Coral Gables — would be hit hardest. Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham said deep cuts “would destroy” the village, where more than 57% of total tax values come from homesteaded properties.

• Public safety spending consumes 60% to 65% of Florida property tax dollars on average, according to League of Cities legislative advocate Charles Chapman. Once police and fire are funded after deep cuts, little may remain for parks, libraries and other city services.

• One proposal, HJR 205 by Miami Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, would eliminate non-school property taxes for all homesteaded Florida seniors but would create a $5.1 billion shortfall for local governments statewide, according to a Florida House analysis.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by Miami Herald journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Miami Herald journalists.

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 3:07 PM.