The Chamber of Southwest Florida is hosting a luncheon at the Doubletree in The Bell Tower on July 23rd. Following the lunch a panel of local officials will discuss property tax reform that will go before the voters in November.
The panel includes Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter, Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell, and FGCU Real Estate Professor Shelton Weeks.
Will services have to be cut? Do local municipalities have any fat they can cut? What will this mean for parks in Southwest Florida. All of those questions and many others will be answered on the 23rd and Beach Talk Radio will be there to cover the event (livestreaming is not allowed).
Register HERE.
There is no such thing as a free chicken dinner. Unless and until somebody tells me where the money is going to come from to pay for fire protection police protection paramedics hospitals mosquito control jails courts and every other municipal service, I’m voting no. As a homeowner, I bought my house with my eyes wide open fully understanding that every year I would have to pay property taxes to support the quality of life expect to enjoy the community in which I live. In addition, I’m getting rather sick and tired of peanut politicians at the state level trying to find fault with our local elected officials at the city county and special district levels of government who are pretty thrifty as history shows and good stewards of the public trust.
You don’t have to homestead your property at all. In fact, if this passes, which it will, I expect that you should de-homestead your property and pay full freight with your wide open eyes. Anything less negates your virtuous signaling, and turns you into someone who wants to control other peoples bills, regardless of the fact that it is a regressive tax that others might not find as comfortable to pay as you supposedly do.
What are your thoughts on DeSantiss property tax elimination?