Florida’s largest and best-organized grassroots citizens groups are expressing their outrage at the recently announced tax legislation currently under consideration by the Florida Legislature.  The proposed legislation does not capture the hopes or wishes of millions of Florida taxpayers who have been promised meaningful and comprehensive tax reform and relief.  Our elected Legislative leadership and the Governor have promised taxpayers that taxes would ‘drop like a rock’… the proposed ‘rock’ didn’t drop far,” in the proposed Tax Reform, stated the leaders of over a dozen grassroots organizations.
 

Lawmakers have decided to ignore the fundamental needs of Floridians in favor of the political needs of local governments who have waged war on real tax relief.  Business owners, second homeowners, seasonal residents and recent home buyers have borne the largest burden. They are forgotten and left out as Tallahassee designs a plan to largely benefit homesteaders. Indeed, many homesteaders need tax relief and protection but not at the expense of other Florida Taxpayers. 

The grassroots coalition supports actual tax reform and government spending caps.  “The legislature needs to scrap their overly complex and politically motivated plan and deliver the following straightforward changes this month:

1. Rollback local budgets to 2000-2001 levels adjusted for inflation and population growth.
2. Establish a 3% cap on all government expenditures growth.
3. Establish a 3% cap on all government revenue growth.
4. Voter approval of any taxes beyond these caps – our local governments can no longer be trusted with this responsibility. 
5. Surplus revenues should be returned to taxpayers.
6. School funding would be exempt from both caps.

Failure of the legislature to enact actual reform will result in the advancement of several constitutional amendment initiatives to enact the reforms as outlined – a Florida Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  Additionally, the proposed “super homestead” amendment as proposed would be strongly opposed in January 2008.

Representatives of the following organizations have announced their opposition to the current plan and their support for meaningful property tax reform in addition to capping all government spending and revenue: Ax the Tax (Florida); Cut Taxes Now (Pinellas); Lower Hernando County Taxes (Hernando); Fair Government for Levy County (Levy); Boynton Intracoastal Group; Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida; Peace & Prosperity; Broward Activists for Tax Equity and the National Federation of Republican Assemblies/Florida Chapter.  The organizations are contacting their members and Florida taxpayers to urge that contact be made with the Florida Legislature to express taxpayer opposition to the compromise legislation.