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St. Augustine staff warns $7.8 million hit if state eliminates homestead property taxes
Summary
City staff told the St. Augustine City Commission that a worst-case elimination of non-school homestead property taxes could cut about $7.8 million from the general fund, forcing cuts to non-public-safety services or revenue replacements; staff and residents urged targeted relief and careful planning.
The City Commission of St. Augustine heard a detailed budget briefing Thursday at a special meeting on how pending state proposals to change homestead property-tax rules could affect city services.
Assistant City Manager Meredith Bridal told commissioners the city’s total 2026 budget is about $99.3 million and that the general fund — the portion most affected by property-tax law changes — is roughly $51 million. “The city of St. Augustine's revenue from homesteaded properties consists of $7,800,000 in 2026,” Bridal said, calling that number a “highest worst-case scenario.”
Bridal summarized four measures being discussed in the state legislature: HJR 201 (an immediate elimination of non-school property taxes on homesteads), HJR 203 (a phased 10-year phase-out), HJR 205 (an exemption for homesteads owned by people age 65 and older) and HJR 209 (an increase in the homestead exemption by up to $200,000 for non-school levies). She…
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