But is it enough. As part of a deal announced by Marco Rubio and Ken Pruitt, Florida legislators have reached an agreement on property tax cuts. The first phase to be enacted before this years tax bills:

Lock revenues to the 2006-2007 amounts.

Force additional revenue rollbacks. Walton County will be forced to reduce revenues by 9%.

SWFD will be forced to hold revenues at 2006-2007 rate and then rollback by 3%. Same thing for SWMCD. Schools are not affected by this. So now it is going to be interesting to see if this is enough savings to jump start the real estate market.

Walton County tax revenues in 2006-2007, were still outrageous, in comparison to 2005. Locking them in and reducing them by 9% might still be about 50% fluff. I like the way they lock it in, thereby decreasing the chance of decreasing the revenues.

I would like to read more about this. Can you provide a link for more info?

__________________

Ok, so how much less is that than my 600 percent increase since '03? Sometimes I think Eglin should relocate the range to Tallahassee.

There is a lot more information on this plan at www.waltontaxpayers.org. They are working on an online calculator to assist you in determining your tax bill for next year. You will need last years bill to get an accurate estimate. www.waltontaxcollector.com will get you a copy of the tax bill. And you can find out more about the property at www.waltonpa.com. Also a good place to turn in anyone that is falsely claiming homestead exemption.

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.


Dear Property Tax Reform Supporter:


I am excited to announce that an agreement has been reached between the House and the Senate on the tax cut levels for historic relief and reform package that will save Florida taxpayers $31.6 billion over the next five years. This is, by far, the largest tax cut in Florida’s history.



I cannot be more proud of the excellent work of our negotiating team and the valuable input from our respective legislative chambers. Together, we are bringing forth a thoughtful and comprehensive plan that will give every property owner – homestead, non-homestead residential, and commercial/industrial – a tax cut this year. We are confident that when this plan is implemented, Floridians will finally have a more equitable tax system that will yield property tax bills that they can afford to pay.



The details of the plan are provided below. Thank you for continued involvement in this very important issue. Please e-mail us at info@nomorepropertytax.com for more information.



Sincerely,



Marco Rubio

Speaker, Florida House of Representatives





$15.6 billion in Immediate Tax Relief and Reform (Statutory Changes)


Beginning this year, every category of property taxpayer will benefit from the cut and the cap that the statute imposes.
All cities and counties will be required to cut taxes in the upcoming 2007-2008 fiscal year to the 2006-2007 revenue levels. These local governments will then be required to make an additional cut of 3%, 5%, 7% or 9%. The level of cuts will be determined by a formula that analyzes their taxing performance over the past 5 years, measured against a statewide average.
Special taxing districts and fiscally limited cities and counties will be required to cut taxes to the 2006-2007 revenue levels and make an additional cut of 3%.
A cap on future property tax revenues (based on the rate of personal income growth and new construction) will be imposed to ensure that government cannot grow faster than personal income.
Local governments may override the cut and the cap. The method for the override will vary based on the magnitude of the local government’s action (escalating from a supermajority vote of the local governing body, to a unanimous vote of the local governing body, to a referendum).


$16 billion in Further Tax Relief and Reform (Constitutional Amendment)


The estimated average savings for a homestead property (combining statutory and constitutional changes) will be $1,300 in 2008-2009. This average savings represents a 44% reduction.
“Save our Homes” is replaced with a new “super exemption”. An estimated 73% of homesteaded properties will receive a greater benefit under this new exemption.
The new “super exemption” will be as follows:
Level 1: Homestead Property will receive an exemption of 75% of the first $200,000 in value of the home. The minimum exemption is $50,000 per homestead.
Level 2: In addition to Level 1, homestead property will obtain another 15% exemption for the next $300,000 in value.
We will grandfather the tax savings and assessment cap for the minority of property owners who have greater benefits under the current “Save our Homes” plan.
We will preserve all existing constitutional exemptions based on special circumstances, including those now provided to disabled veterans, low income seniors and agricultural lands.
Because the tax base for all taxing authorities will decline under the constitutional amendment, the fiscal analyses reflects a reduction in school funding. We intend to hold schools harmless from these cuts.


Other Constitutional Changes


There has been agreement to address remaining issues such as additional relief to low income elderly taxpayers, offering incentives for affordable housing and providing tax reform for “working waterfronts” and small businesses. Small businesses will receive a $25,000 tangible personal property tax (TPP) exemption resulting in a total exemption for $1 million of the 1.3 million businesses who must pay this tax. Furthermore, those who receive a total exemption on their TPP will never have to file the burdensome paperwork associated with the tax again.




PO Box 311 Tallahassee, Florida 32302 | Phone: 850.222.7920 Fax: 850.681.3768
Paid for and sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida

email marketing by Taproot Creative

__________________
~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~

I don't understand why you would need last years bill to get the accurate estimate. According to our Property Appraiser, they do not calculate current year assessments based on the prior year's. It is a zero-based system which they use.

__________________

http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/as...CD76014611.PDF

http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/as...CD76014611.PDF

Great Slide Presentation to explain the proposals.

Yeah, I know us non homesteaders deserve a big break! I even paid more than double for my fishing license here, and pay taxes out the ying yang here. Still, I am just blessed. Why do residents get such a big break compared to second home owners? I believe you may also get a small reward for turning in tax evaders, waltondude. I think that's on all levels, not just in Walton County.

My understanding from reading the thing is it is based on last year. But the more I watch them argue about it at the meetings, the more I have decided that they really have no idea what it is based upon.

Dear Property Tax Reform Supporter:


The special session on property taxes has begun.



As expected, those who do not support property tax relief have begun their assault on the proposed agreement between the House and Senate. The special interests in Tallahassee do not have the political courage to reveal their opposition to property tax reductions, so instead they hide behind attacks on the process and on specifics of the plan. Their goal is to keep anything from happening at all because they simply do not trust the people of Florida to make the final decision on how much they want to be taxed on their homes and properties.



I wanted to take a moment to address some of the issues that have been raised.



Issue #1: The Plan Does Not Cut Enough

I agree with this concern! However, we must get a plan on the table. The good news is that this plan is an almost $32 billion tax cut—the largest in Florida’s history. You may recall that at the end of the regular session, the Senate was proposing as $12 billion tax cut. Now they have agreed to a $32 billion tax cut. It does fall short of the House’s original $44 billion tax reduction plan, but this plan is a significant reduction, and we need to take this first step forward.
There is some confusion about the statutory rollback. This is not just a rollback to 2006. It is a rollback to 2006 AND an additional cut of between 3% and 9% depending on how the city or county has treated taxes over the last five years. It is also important to remember that this is only the first part of the plan. The second part of the plan provides a super-sized homestead exemption that would help 73% of homeowners reduce their taxes by an average 44%!
Yesterday and again today, aparade of local elected and appointed officials have appeared before the House Policy and Budget Council to say these tax cutswill be too big. Their opposition to this plan is a clear sign that it is a significant tax reduction.
Issue #2: The Plan Would Eliminate Save Our Homes and it Does Nothing for Small Businesses or Owners of Second Homes

This is simply wrong. We are not just getting rid of Save Our Homes. We are getting rid of Save Our Homes for homeowners AND we are replacing it with a new cap on taxes for everyone.
Under this plan, all properties, homestead and non-homestead alike will have the benefit of a tax cap based on the growth of personal income. Now the growth in the tax burden will mirror people’s ability to pay. Over the last five years property taxes have grown by 83% while personal income has grown by only 38%. The new cap will close that gap forever.
Applying a new cap that applies to everyone provides portability, and it helps business as well. They will no longer face massive year to year increases.
Even as I write this, the opponents of property tax relief are working to keep this from passing. They didn't like our original plan because it provided a revenue source to replace the lost revenue (a sales tax). Now they don't like this plan because it doesn't replace the revenue. They complained that the process was moving too slow. Now they complain that it is moving too fast. They opposed our original plan because it didn't include school taxes, now they complain because it does. In essence, the opponents to our first plan have opposed every other plan that has been offered. To sum up their position, they want to cut property taxes, but they don't want to cut taxes.



This compromise is not what the leadership of the House wanted. This is not the plan we originally introduced and passed. I continue to believe that we should not tax home ownership at all.



I believe that there is more work to do, but at this moment the choice before us is not between this plan and some better plan. The choice is between this plan and the existing system. I can assure you that this plan is much better than the existing system and should be viewed as the first step on the road to reform.



In about 24 hours, your Senator and your Representative will have the opportunity to vote for the largest tax cut in Florida's history. Before that vote, please know that they will get an enormous amount of pressure from the opponents of property tax reform. Many of these opponents are here in Tallahassee, and their expenses are being paid by the very people who they are lobbying against--the taxpayer.



Your legislator also needs to hear from you!



Sincerely,



Marco Rubio

Speaker, Florida House of Representatives

__________________
~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~

Finally!

Republican-Led Tax Cut The Largest In Florida’s History



Tallahassee—Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer released the following statement today regarding the property tax plan passed by the Florida Legislature:



“I commend Governor Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio for their leadership in passing this tax cut for Florida’s families and businesses—the largest tax cut in our state’s history.



“As a former City Councilman, I understand the need to provide essential services such as police and fire protection to families and communities, but local governments certainly have room to tighten their belts, and that is exactly what this bill requires.



“Cutting $15.6 billion in property taxes and capping the rate at which local governments can collect taxes in the future is no small feat. Moreover, when voters go to the polls to vote during Florida’s historic January 29 presidential election next year, they will have the opportunity to create a new super-sized homestead exemption. Once again, under Republican leadership, Florida’s families and businesses will continue to enjoy common-sense solutions derived from innovative ideas.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-m...home-headlines Rubio is full of it!