Property Taxes need to be revamped!

South Florida homeowners angry about high tax bills -- and the threat of paying even more if they move -- can sound off to legislators, Democrat and Republican alike, at meetings on the topic early next month. Eight town-hall-style hearings will be held across the state, including hearings in Lake Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.Legislators have set the stage for a big debate at the legislative session scheduled to start in March.Gov. Charlie Crist and many legislators want to trim the taxes people pay on their homes. They are talking about a constitutional amendment that legislators would write and voters could approve as early as this summer. The proposal, for starters, would double the current $25,000 homestead exemption, which lowers the assessed value of a home. Under the existing exemption, the owner of a $200,000 house pays property tax on $175,000 of that value.The Republican governor also wants to let homeowners take some or all of their so-called "Save Our Homes" tax savings if they move.
That 24-year-old constitutional provision caps tax increases at 3 percent a year no matter how much the value of a home increases. But those savings are lost when a homeowner moves, and the cap doesn't apply to businesses, rental properties and vacation homes.

This month, Crist and legislators enacted changes to drastically cut property insurance rates. But property tax cuts might be a bigger fight.Local government officials say tax cuts of any significance will siphon money from everything from local parks to the salaries of police officers, firefighters and teachers.

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