As affordability concerns persist, two in three Florida voters say that if the issue were on the ballot today, they’d support a constitutional amendment to reduce or eliminate property taxes.
It’s an issue at the forefront of Sunshine State politics, near the top of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ to-do list and one about which lawmakers have been convening[1] meetings[2] and filing legislation this month.
And according to new polling from the James Madison Institute[3], a Tallahassee-headquartered think tank, 65% of Floridians said they’d now vote “yes” to cut or end property taxes.
Unsurprisingly, it’s about the same share (66%) who say they are concerned about being able to afford their homes because of property taxes and housing costs.
Seven in 10 voters said they want some type of property tax reform.
But they’re split on the best way to advance. Thirty-three percent of Florida voters want property taxes eliminated outright, while 39% say property taxes should be limited but remain a valid revenue source for local governments.
Nashville-based Targoz Market Research[4] surveyed 1,200 registered voters Sept. 16-8 for the James Madison Institute. The poll had a 2.77-percentage-point margin of error.
Its results show support for property tax reform has shifted somewhat over the past five months.
When Targoz conducted a similar poll[5] in April, it found 46% of respondents supported eliminating property taxes, while 32% preferred reducing sales taxes.
Twelve percent of voters, the same share as in the most recent poll, said they were happy with how things are.
Supporting the change could prove advantageous politically. Pollsters this month found that if a candidate for the Legislature made eliminating property taxes part of their platform, it would make 45% of voters more inclined to vote for them.
Just 18% of respondents said support of killing property taxes would be a deal-breaker for them, compared to 26% who said it would make no difference.
Of those polled, 43% self-identified as Republicans, 32% said they were Democrats and 25% belonged to a third or no party. About 52% said they voted for President Donald Trump in the last election.
Two-thirds (66%) identified as non-Hispanic White, compared to 18% Hispanic, 12% Black, 2% Asian and 2% who identified as “other.”
Sixty-nine percent were homeowners, while 96% said their Florida home is their only residence.
Employment-wise, 36% said they work full-time and 34% were retired.
A third of respondents said they earn less than $50,000 annually. Another 33% said they make $100,000 or more, with the remainder falling between the two.
Thirty percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment.
Notably, a separate survey the progressive Florida Policy Institute published[6] six months ago found 68% of Florida voters preferred to keep property taxes “as they are” to fund local services if the alternative is a doubled state sales tax rate.
That poll[7], which came out in March, used roughly the same breakdown in political affiliation and demography.
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References
- ^ convening (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ meetings (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ James Madison Institute (jamesmadison.org)
- ^ Targoz Market Research (www.targoz.com)
- ^ similar poll (floridaphoenix.com)
- ^ Florida Policy Institute published (www.floridapolicy.org)
- ^ poll (floridapolicy.sharepoint.com)