Gov. Ron DeSantis thinks the Florida House’s property tax plans are “milquetoast” and says House leaders must think voters are “stupid.”
House Speaker Daniel Perez believes DeSantis is just being “small and petty” or is planning to massively slash funds for schools.
The battle between the GOP leaders over taxes, which extended the 2025 legislative session earlier this year, remains intense as next year’s session looms.
Speaking in Tampa on Oct. 29, DeSantis was asked about the eight bills aimed at cutting property taxes – including seven constitutional amendments – released by the House earlier in the month. DeSantis had previously panned the proposals, but he went further in his criticism, slamming Perez personally.
“I’ve not talked to (Perez) about it at all. The reality is, is he’s not been somebody that’s been supportive of these efforts,” DeSantis said.
“They put out a bunch of proposals; they’re all milquetoast. There’s not one proposal that people would get excited about, not one. They’re total half measures, which is not what people are asking for. People want to be bold.”
And by putting up to seven proposals on the November ballot, the House plan would confuse voters and doom the push to cut property taxes, DeSantis added.
“When I see politicians rolling out, ‘Oh, we’re going to put five proposals on,’ it offends me because they think you’re stupid enough to tell you, ‘Oh no, we’re supportive of you, we put stuff on the ballot, we tried,’ ” DeSantis said.
“They can’t think you’re that stupid. They physically can’t. So it offends me that they think somehow they could get away with this.”
Perez countered that DeSantis was being “small and petty” – or he plans to slash K-12 funding. That’s because one of the House bills would eliminate non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties.
“The governor’s comments can only be interpreted in two ways. Either he’s being small and petty, or he has just revealed something significant today about his mysterious property tax plan,” Perez said in an emailed statement.
“The House has proposed eliminating all non-school homestead property taxes,” the speaker added. “The governor weirdly called that ‘milquetoast.’ That can only mean the Governor has just announced that he will be proposing to abolish all property taxes, including school taxes.
“I look forward to seeing the Governor’s proposed budget where he makes up for the $21 billion for schools that he plans to cut.”
DeSantis has repeatedly called on lawmakers to put a measure on the November 2026 ballot to eliminate taxes for homesteaded properties. Such a move requires 60% support in both chambers of the Legislature, and then 60% of voters would have to approve it for the measure to become law.
The next legislative session begins Jan. 13.
So far, the House is the only chamber to release property tax proposals backed by chamber leaders. Although some Senate bills have been filed, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, is still evaluating the House bills and hasn’t put forward his own.
Perez has previously complained that DeSantis hasn’t put out a detailed proposal yet, either, instead just suggesting that Florida residents who own their homes are taxed too heavily.
DeSantis said he wants to ensure the measure will provide relief to current residents without spurring an influx of snowbirds, while also being able to get 60% support from voters.
“You’ve got to get the language right,” DeSantis said.
Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Stupid’ vs. ‘small and petty.’ The DeSantis-Perez tax battle rumbles on
Reporting by Gray Rohrer, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
