From Liberty to Levy: Rethinking Property Taxes in the Sunshine State
- Tim Hennessy
- Sep 3
- 4 min read
Why Florida’s property tax fight is an important step toward restoring property rights...but how we get there is just as important.
Florida’s property tax debate is no longer just a gripe at the kitchen table — it’s front and center in state politics. Governor Ron DeSantis has been blunt about what’s at stake. “You should own your property free and clear,” he told reporters earlier this year. “To say someone who’s been in their home for 30 years has to keep ponying up money — you don’t own your home, if that’s the case.” On social media he went even further: “Owning a home is part of the American Dream, yet you never really own your own property if you have to perpetually pay rent to the government.”
That sentiment has been picked up in the Legislature. State Senator Jonathan Martin filed a bill this year to study exactly how Florida could move away from property taxes and replace them with other forms of revenue. “My bill is not preparing to raise the sales tax,” Martin said. “I’m asking economists to do a study.” His point is straightforward: if we’re serious about protecting seniors and working families, we need to explore whether a shift toward consumption-based taxes is a better path.
The numbers explain why this matters so much. Florida doesn’t have a state property tax, but our local governments rely heavily on it. In 2023 alone, cities, counties, and school boards collected about $49 billion in property taxes — $21.5 billion for schools, $19.3 billion for counties, and nearly $9 billion for municipalities. Add in special assessments, and the total climbs past $56 billion. That money pays for teachers, sheriff’s deputies, and fire departments. No one disputes those services matter — the question is whether the way we fund them is fair.
From the very beginning of America, property rights were seen as the bedrock of freedom. The Founders looked back to Magna Carta and English common law when they insisted that secure ownership was essential to liberty. James Madison himself wrote that “a man has a property in his rights,” and that without security for property, no rights could be secure. Against that backdrop, it’s easy to see why a tax that forces you to keep paying for something you supposedly “own” feels like a contradiction.
And practically speaking, property taxes weigh heaviest on those least able to shoulder them. Retirees on fixed incomes don’t get relief when their assessments climb. Working families see taxes spike if they have to move, renovate, or simply buy a starter home. Even renters feel the burden because landlords pass property taxes through in higher rents. Yes, Florida has homestead exemptions and assessment caps, but those only go so far — and they create new inequities for younger families trying to get a foothold.
Critics argue that eliminating property taxes would gut local budgets, but that’s not the whole story. The truth is we don’t have to choose between funding schools and respecting property rights. With careful planning, we can phase down property taxes and replace them with other sources — like broadening the sales-tax base to cover modern digital services or luxury spending, or giving voters direct control over certain special assessments. These aren’t grandiose ideas; they’re trade-offs worth putting on the table.
Think about what that would mean for real people. Seniors wouldn’t have to worry about being taxed out of the home they’ve lived in for decades. Young families could buy knowing that once the mortgage is paid, they truly own their home. And tourists and seasonal residents — who already benefit from Florida’s infrastructure — would contribute more fairly through consumption-based taxes. That’s a system that spreads the burden instead of punishing long-term ownership.
Of course, this kind of change can’t happen overnight. Property taxes are woven deep into local budgets, and any transition has to be gradual, data-driven, and transparent. That’s exactly why Senator Martin’s call for an economic study was so important: it would have given lawmakers and citizens a clear picture of what’s possible.
The bigger principle is simple: once you’ve paid off your home, it should be yours — not a piece of property you’re renting back from the government each year. Florida has reshaped its tax system before, and we can do it again. The question is whether we’re ready to defend the founding promise that secure property is the foundation of liberty.
About the Author: Tim Hennessy spent 25 years in broadcast television and has served as an advertising agency owner, political campaign manager, and grassroots community organizer. He is currently the President of Hennessy Strategies. Founded in 2020, Hennessy Strategies is a full-service branding and advertising agency serving a diverse client base of innovative companies, candidates, elected officials, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial start-ups from Southwest Florida.
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