Our state legislators are considering putting a constitutional amendment before the voters that will end property taxes and replace it with 2.5% sales tax increase.
In other words, let’s make it a hidden tax that few people will really know what they’re actually paying annually. It increases the tax burden on the poor and elderly who have benefited from the homestead exemption in the past.
It also takes the power out of local government and the voters. In 2008, we can vote every commissioner or city council person if we disagree with their budgets and the millage rates.
If this passes, local officials will simply throw up their hands and say, “We have no control over your taxes.” Our taxes are put in the hands of our local legislative delegation that can operate outside the Sunshine in Tallahassee.
The same thing has been happening for years in education funding. All the money goes to the state, then they set a formula to decide how much we get back. That’s how Murzin, Benson, etc could always take credit in their mailers for how much money they got us for local education. However, the formula typically favors the more powerful South Florida school districts.
The voters become powerless to change taxes under this sales tax scheme.
This is a bad idea that panders to those upset about the property tax increases. Next year we can elect new county commissions, city councils and school boards and get the property taxes cut.