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Westlake mayor warns Florida proposals to phase out property taxes would gut municipal budgets
Summary
John Paul O'Connor, incoming Palm Beach County League of Cities president, told West Palm Beach commissioners that proposed state measures to phase out municipal ad valorem taxes (example: HJR 203) would sharply reduce local revenue and that lawmakers have not presented a credible backfill plan; he urged public education about what property-tax dollars fund.
John Paul O'Connor, mayor of Westlake and chair of the Palm Beach County League of Cities' legislative committee, briefed the West Palm Beach City Commission on Feb. 17 about a slate of property-tax proposals moving through the Florida Legislature.
O'Connor highlighted HJR 203, a joint resolution he said would phase out municipal ad valorem property taxes over a multi-year schedule and estimated elimination by 2037 if enacted. He emphasized that the proposals do not target school taxes but would reduce the primary recurring revenue source for city services: parks, public safety, infrastructure, permitting and more. "If these taxes were eliminated, municipalities would experience an immediate and substantial revenue contraction," he said, adding that municipalities have seen no credible plan from the state to backfill lost revenue and that the result could be service reductions, new local fees or reduced fiscal flexibility in disasters.
O'Connor urged municipal leaders and the public to "educate our residents" about how each dollar of ad valorem tax revenue is spent and warned against a one-size-fits-all reform. "We need a scalpel, not a sledgehammer," he said, calling for tax reform that is responsible, sustainable and paired with structural solutions.
Commissioners thanked O'Connor for advocacy in Tallahassee and said the city will continue workshops and public education on the issue.
