FLORIDA SJR 314

Pretty soon, less and less of us might be paying taxes. That would give Peter Timm a stroke if the Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 314) would pass by three-fifths on both the House and Senate floors in the Legislative session beginning Jan. 10 before going to voters in November 2012.

"The tax base is being decimated by these exemptions," Palm Beach Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits said. "They're making it very difficult on local governments to fund their police and fire departments and other local services that are necessary." It's a good thing that Susan Stanton negotiated with the PBSO on a two year fixed contract. Let's see what the next city manager does.

JOINT RESOLUTION by Judiciary; Simmons
Ad Valorem Taxation;
Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to allow the Legislature by general law to prohibit increases in the assessed value of homestead and specified non-homestead property if the just value of the property decreases, reduce the limitation on annual assessment increases applicable to non-homestead real property, provide an additional homestead exemption for owners of homestead property, authorize the Legislature to adjust the amount of the exemption, provide that the additional exemption is to be reduced by the difference between the just value and the assessed value, delay a future repeal of provisions limiting annual assessment increases for specified non-homestead real property, and provide effective dates, etc.

Senate Committee References: Community Affairs (CA), Judiciary (JU), Budget (BC), Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax (BFT)

Location: In committee/council (BFT)

Last Action: 12/13/2011 Now in Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax

Summary of the Bill:

This joint resolution proposes amendments to Article VII, section 4, of the Florida Constitution to permit the Legislature to prohibit increases in the assessed value of homestead and certain non-homestead property if the just value of the property decreases. The joint resolution also reduces the limitation on annual assessment increases applicable to non-homestead property from 10 percent to 7 percent. An amendment to Article VII, section 6, of the Florida Constitution is also proposed to create an additional homestead exemption. The Legislature is authorized to adjust the amount of the exemption.

This joint resolution removes the current automatic repeal of subsections (f) and (g) of section 4, Article VII, of the Florida Constitution1, relating to assessments of certain non-homestead residential property by amending Article XII, section 27, of the Florida Constitution. This section is further amended to provide when the amendments to Article VII sections 4 and 6, of the Florida Constitution shall take effect.

This joint resolution will require approval by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature for passage. Should this joint resolution be adopted, an additional joint resolution will be required to rescind and withdraw HJR 381 (2011) which is to go before the voters as Amendment 4 on the November 2012 ballot.