Overview
- Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills on June 24 that immediately change how local officials can raise property‑tax millage and that impose new transparency and budget requirements on counties and cities.
- Senate Bill 4‑F removes growth in per‑capita personal income from the millage calculation, raises the vote thresholds needed to exceed rollback rates, and allows a longer ballot summary for the proposed homestead amendment.
- House Bill 1329 requires local governments to post detailed budget documents and quarterly employee compensation reports online and to run an annual exercise identifying ways to cut proposed spending by 10 percent without reducing essential services; that law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
- Local leaders and fiscal analysts warn the combined package and the November amendment could cost jurisdictions billions in revenue, force service cuts or fee increases, and raise municipal bond and legal risks after the Legislature declined to create a state backfill fund.
- A lawsuit is challenging the amendment’s ballot language and the constitutional change still must win 60 percent of voters in November, with implementation timing, a five‑year residency rule and other details likely to drive further legal and political fights.