DeSantis outlines plan for 2026 ballot property-tax reform, touts tourism recovery

Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will launch an initiative intended to give homeowners generational property-tax relief that would require constitutional reform and placement on the 2026 ballot by the state Legislature.

DeSantis, speaking in Orlando, said the proposal would protect homesteaded residences from rising property taxes and argued the state can afford reform because a large share of Florida’s tax burden is paid by visitors. “I believe, the free state of Florida should mean no income tax. And I also think it should mean your personal residence, that homesteaded residence, should be yours free and clear of the government,” DeSantis said.

The governor framed the proposed ballot initiative as part of a broader case that Florida’s economy and tourism industry have recovered strongly since the pandemic. He cited a string of credit ratings, months of below‑national unemployment and visitor counts. “For 57 months in a row, our unemployment rate has been lower than the national average,” DeSantis said, and noted that the state has “a triple a credit rating on every major ratings agencies.”

DeSantis gave a detailed visitor total for the second quarter of 2025, saying the state recorded 34,400,000 visitors in that period, including about 31,500,000 U.S. visitors, 2,300,000 overseas visitors and 640,000 Canadians.

On the policy mechanics, DeSantis said the change would require constitutional reform and thus must be placed on the ballot by the Legislature. “It’s gonna be something that the legislature is gonna have to consider and place on the 2026 ballot because it does require constitutional reform,” he said. He described the proposal as aimed at helping seniors on fixed incomes who bought homes decades ago and young families buying starter homes today.

DeSantis also credited Florida’s pandemic-era approach and the state tourism agency for aiding the recovery. He argued that the state kept schools and businesses open earlier than some jurisdictions and that the approach helped limit long-term economic damage. “Everybody has a right to work,” DeSantis said. He called out national reporting he characterized as hostile during COVID and urged continued use of VISIT FLORIDA to promote the state’s open status to travelers.

The governor described tourism as a primary source of jobs and revenue that allows Florida to keep taxes relatively low for residents. He mentioned specific attractions and events — Epic Universe, the Formula 1 race in Miami, the Daytona 500, PGA tournaments and the national college championship at Hard Rock Stadium — as examples of the industry’s lift to local economies.

What the announcement does and does not do: DeSantis announced an intent and plan to seek a constitutional change via the 2026 ballot and asked the Legislature to put such a measure before voters. He did not present draft ballot language, a specific legislative sponsor, a formal petition, or a timeline for signature-gathering, and no vote or formal board action was recorded at the event.

DeSantis concluded by thanking tourism industry workers and residents. “We gotta keep this going. This is really important for so many people whose livelihoods depend on everything that people do in this room,” he said.