Unidentified Winter Haven elected official warns state property-tax cuts could force service reductions
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Summary
An unidentified Winter Haven elected official told residents that proposed state changes to homestead property tax could remove about $10.5 million from the city's $80 million general fund, potentially forcing cuts to parks, street maintenance or other services unless replacement revenue is identified.
An unidentified Winter Haven elected official urged residents to learn the local impact of proposed state property-tax changes, saying cuts to homestead ad valorem revenue could leave the city unable to maintain current services.
The official told attendees that Winter Haven’s local government has a roughly $250 million budget, with about $80 million in a general fund. "Property tax in Winter Haven generates $31,000,000" for that fund, the official said, and police and fire combined cost about $34,000,000. The speaker warned that if homestead exemptions or other changes removed roughly $10.5 million in revenue, "what do we no longer do? Do we not take care of the parks? Do we not pave the roads?" The official added that police and fire budgets were not touchable under the proposals discussed.
The official described one state proposal — attributed in the remarks to House Speaker David Perez — as a relatively modest change allowing combined portability of Save Our Homes benefits for newly married couples and preserving public input on millage increases; other proposals mentioned would reduce or eliminate homestead ad valorem taxes more broadly. The speaker said they had testified before a House select committee on property tax in Tallahassee and thanked Representative Albert for his service.
To illustrate household impact, the speaker said the average homesteaded property in Winter Haven pays about $850 a year in property taxes (roughly $70 a month), and compared that to a small daily expense to explain what local services that money funds: parks mowing, street maintenance, and emergency responders ready to respond without a point-of-use invoice. The official also noted that for homesteaded properties the ad valorem increase is limited to 3% year-over-year or the cost of living, whichever is lower, which they said contributes stability and predictability for homeowners.
The official placed property tax within household affordability pressures that also include insurance, mortgage costs and utilities, and urged residents to read city agendas and attend commission meetings. "If you go to the polls and you vote on something without knowing what the issue is and how it affects you, you're doing a disservice to you and to every other person in this community," the official said.
No formal motion, ordinance or vote was recorded during the remarks. The speaker closed by reiterating that rapid growth increases maintenance demands and that losing stable property-tax revenue could accelerate deterioration of roads and parks unless replacement revenue or other policy changes are identified.