[SunshineState]

YUP....that's what the front page of our newspaper said this morning. Our Florida Legislators are considering raising our sales tax to 13.5% You can read the article for yourself http://www.sptimes.com/2006/12/16/St...fix_Doub.shtml

Basically for anyone thinking of moving to Florida you better wait a bit to see what is going to happen, between the outrageous homeowners insurance and high property taxes coupled with low wages it may not be your best move. That's just my opinion with what is going on here....we are on the move out soon...very soon!

[spotrod]

wow ,

that affects everyone in the state , even the people whose insurance is not that bad. and the bummer is it will never go back down to 7%.

good luck everyone, i hope they use some vasaline first !

[pianogal]

The article states that it's one of the 12 controversial options...I don't believe that will ever happen. I can't believe that is all they came up with. Tennessee just passed a bill that freezes property taxes when the homeowner turns 65. That way the elderly won't have to worry about being taxed out of their homes.

A logical solution would be raising the homestead exemption - to at least 50K, but that would be a drop in the bucket. When the homestead exemption was set at 25K, you could buy a modest home for 50-70K, with the average sales price of 245,000 today, I think the homestead should be at 100K. If they would do that, eliminate the Save Our Homes and freeze the taxes at age 65 - it would go a very long way in making homeownership affordable again.

In Orlando, if my exemption was 100K, my taxes would almost drop in half. I would still be paying 3000.00 a year - that should be plenty.

Those who have had save our homes for years may have some adjustment to make, but there could be a phase in period. I know a number of people who would like to move, but feel that they are prisoners in their homes because of the huge increase in property taxes they would have to pay if they moved. This would allow people who have been sitting on the sidelines to enter the real estate market.

[SunshineState]

Originally Posted by pianogal

The article states that it's one of the 12 controversial options...I don't believe that will ever happen. I can't believe that is all they came up with. Tennessee just passed a bill that freezes property taxes when the homeowner turns 65. That way the elderly won't have to worry about being taxed out of their homes.

A logical solution would be raising the homestead exemption - to at least 50K, but that would be a drop in the bucket. When the homestead exemption was set at 25K, you could buy a modest home for 50-70K, with the average sales price of 245,000 today, I think the homestead should be at 100K. If they would do that, eliminate the Save Our Homes and freeze the taxes at age 65 - it would go a very long way in making homeownership affordable again.

**Ok so if you drop the Save Our Homes and freese taxes when a homeowner turns 65 that is great for the wlderly what about the working class people, are they not allowed to own a home because they can't afford the taxes (and Insurance) this means all the Police, Firemen, Nurses, etc. What should they do??

In Orlando, if my exemption was 100K, my taxes would almost drop in half. I would still be paying 3000.00 a year - that should be plenty.

Those who have had save our homes for years may have some adjustment to make, but there could be a phase in period. I know a number of people who would like to move, but feel that they are prisoners in their homes because of the huge increase in property taxes they would have to pay if they moved. This would allow people who have been sitting on the sidelines to enter the real estate market.

** We were some of those people who feared moving and when we did were socked with taxes that were 5 times what we were paying! OUCH! There plan to possibly increase sales tax will only help the rich who no longer will be taxes on their Million Dollar McMansions!

[tallrick]

The government has too much money already, what are they doing with their windfall? I say tax properties on what people paid for them, not some fictional assessment.

[SunshineState]

Originally Posted by tallrick

The government has too much money already, what are they doing with their windfall? I say tax properties on what people paid for them, not some fictional assessment.

Here's what they are doing with your tax money!!!

TALLAHASSEE - After promising to ''redefine the culture of politics in Florida,'' state House Speaker Marco Rubio has taken charge like many of his predecessors: spending tax dollars to remodel his offices and hiring political allies at hefty salaries.

Total cost so far: $2.5 million.

To do that, Rubio authorized spending $550,000 to remodel the House chambers to accommodate his new committee structure, which allows committees to handle both budget and policy functions.

The bulk of the new spending -- $2 million more than his predecessor -- will pay for salary hikes and 20 additional staffers, 17 of whom came from Gov. Jeb Bush's office.

The biggest beneficiaries:

• Chief of staff Richard Corcoran, who formerly worked for Rubio at the Republican Party of Florida, who will earn $175,212. That's $46,000 more than incoming Gov. Charlie Crist, but less than Corcoran's $192,000 salary at the state GOP. He also makes more than his Senate counterpart, David Coburn, who is paid $170,976 as chief of staff to Senate President Ken Pruitt.

• Spokesman Jose Fuentes and deputy chief of staff Chris Nocco, each of whom will earn $119,484. That is $23,000 more than Bush's communications director and just $9,500 less than the governor himself.

• Political ally Ken Sorensen, the retired airline pilot who was term-limited out of the House, and who will earn $100,000 as ''new member liaison'' to show freshmen lawmakers the ropes.

• Donna Arduin, Bush's former budget chief, who has been hired on a $10,000-a month salary to help the House form its tax and budget policy.



Now some lawmakers are wondering whether the surge in House salaries contradicts that goal.

''Marco might be saying one thing, but he's demonstrating a whole different thing,'' said Rep. Susan Bucher, a West Palm Beach Democrat. ``Every speaker tweaks the building a little bit, but this is a time when our citizens are really struggling and I find it astounding we're growing state government.''

Rubio's predecessor, Allan Bense, increased the number of staffers to 292 from the 286 under his predecessor, Johnnie Byrd. Rubio now has employed 312.



In the past, legislative policy committees would write bills that ''would never see the light of day'' because they weren't tied to the budget. Under the new system, that will change, because every policy committee also will write the budget component for that legislation.

[fopt65]

Originally Posted by pianogal

The article states that it's one of the 12 controversial options...I don't believe that will ever happen. I can't believe that is all they came up with. Tennessee just passed a bill that freezes property taxes when the homeowner turns 65. That way the elderly won't have to worry about being taxed out of their homes.

A logical solution would be raising the homestead exemption - to at least 50K, but that would be a drop in the bucket. When the homestead exemption was set at 25K, you could buy a modest home for 50-70K, with the average sales price of 245,000 today, I think the homestead should be at 100K. If they would do that, eliminate the Save Our Homes and freeze the taxes at age 65 - it would go a very long way in making homeownership affordable again.

In Orlando, if my exemption was 100K, my taxes would almost drop in half. I would still be paying 3000.00 a year - that should be plenty.

Those who have had save our homes for years may have some adjustment to make, but there could be a phase in period. I know a number of people who would like to move, but feel that they are prisoners in their homes because of the huge increase in property taxes they would have to pay if they moved. This would allow people who have been sitting on the sidelines to enter the real estate market.

But, since such a large percentage of home owners in Florida is 65 or over, and with the upcoming mass baby boomer retirement looming, could this be done? You would overtax the working (non retired people) causing them to leave the state.

[Need_affordable_home]

Wow now sales tax will double? This is a big blow to Florida on top of high property taxes, expensive houses and hurricane insurance set to double again! Whats next? A states income tax? This makes me want to leave Florida all the sooner now! Its such a shame my parents didnt sell their house last year when I warned them itll lose value. No point selling it, itll have very little value left. My parents can stay in that house forever. If that house is still standing and hasnt gotten wiped out by a hurricane, me, my bro and sis will use that house everytime we vacation in Florida. We wont bother insuring it and split the property tax expenses between the three of us. I can see Florida becomming very cheap house wise but expensive tax and insurance wise.

[chisoxfan]

Here are the other 11 proposals put forth along with raising the sales tax to 13.5 percent (a proposal under which property taxes would be eliminated or reduced):

•Assessing business property based on actual use instead of "highest and best use."

•Caps on local government revenue increases.

•Cap growth on nonhomestead property assessments, similar to the Save Our Homes cap that limits assessed value increases on homesteads to a maximum 3 percent each year.

•Set property values based on a multiyear average to temper effect of market spikes.

•Simplify "Truth in Millage" statements in proposed tax notices.

•Increase the $25,000 homestead exemption.

•Allow homeowners to transfer the Save Our Homes cap to a new property when they move.

•Phase out the Save Our Homes cap.

•Improve the tax designation for agricultural uses.

•Protect homestead tax benefits when property is taken through eminent domain.

•Protect homestead tax benefits during frequent relocations by members of the military.