Florida weighs ditching property taxes and sticking Canadians with the bill

Florida voters are deciding on a constitutional amendment that would sharply expand homestead property tax relief for primary residents and phase out those taxes over time, concentrating the burden on non-homesteaded properties. The ballot measure raises the exemption so many homes valued at $250,000 US or less would owe nothing, requires a 60 per cent supermajority to pass, and state economists estimate it would reduce revenue by about $12 billion US annually. To recoup losses, the plan lets assessed values on non-homesteaded properties - including rentals, commercial sites and seasonal owners - rise by up to 5 per cent a year. The governor has framed the move as prioritizing Floridians and explicitly suggested tapping taxes on foreign seasonal owners, particularly Canadian snowbirds, to fill budget gaps.

That shift is already prompting fallout: Canadians own roughly $60 billion US in Florida property and account for a large share of international demand in some markets, so opponents warn a tax hike on non-residents would trigger an exodus, heavier housing-market pressure and plunging local sale prices in affected regions. Municipal leaders warn service cuts to police, fire and 911 are likely if revenue evaporates. Campaigners opposing the amendment call it a tax shift rather than relief, and several long-time seasonal Canadians say rising anti-Canada rhetoric and the prospect of higher taxes have pushed them to sell or spend winters elsewhere.