JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Most Floridians support eliminating property taxes on their homes as long as public safety and school funding are protected.
That’s the conclusion of a new UNF poll released Wednesday morning.
UNF Associate Political Science Professor Sean Freeder conducted the poll.
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He argued it’s not a bad starting point, but there’s a big caveat in the result, given ballot proposals need 60 percent to pass.
“You can imagine a very successful campaign could bump it over that 60 percent threshold, but there’s campaigns that are going to go in the other direction too,” said Freeder.
The poll question was phrased to mirror the proposal recently passed by the Florida House.
This week, members of the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee were told by council auditors that the plan would blow a $375 million hole in the city budget.
Given public safety funding couldn’t be touched, Councilmember Will Lahnen (R-District 3) laid out what that would mean for everything else.
“Get rid of KHA, get rid of UF Health, all of the nonprofit spend, all cash incentives, and we’re halfway there if the number is $375 million,” said Lahnen. ”So, which would be probably 50 percent cuts in everything that is non-public safety to get you the rest of the way there.”
The House plan is likely not what voters will see on the ballot, though, as the Governor and Senate are still working on their own property tax proposal.
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Speaking in St. Augustine last week, Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized the importance of making the numbers work and perfecting the ballot language.
“Voters are going to read it. Are they going to like what they see or not just from an impression, right?” said DeSantis.
Freeder argued ballot language can help, but it can be easier to scare voters away from something than it is to convince them to support something.
And even the most popular ideas have been known to run into trouble come Election Day.
“I mean, right now we’re polling 66 percent on marijuana. We polled those kinds of numbers two years ago, and then lo and behold it doesn’t hit that 60 percent threshold once a campaign kicks in right before the voting,” said Freeder.
The Governor has said to expect a special session to finalize a property tax proposal in the coming months.
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