State Rep. Deborah Tendrick warns rapid property‑tax changes could shift burden to renters, touts large domestic violence package

State Representative Deborah Tendrick (District 89) briefed the Lantana Town Council on legislative activity she said will affect local governments and residents, highlighting a sweeping domestic violence package and a fast‑moving property‑tax proposal that she warned was advanced without a full study of consequences.

Tendrick said she sponsored five bills this session and secured about $5 million in the state budget she is watching for a possible veto by the governor. She described one bill she sponsored as the state’s most comprehensive domestic violence package in three decades and said its bipartisan reception was “one of the most unifying moments in the legislature in years.”

Tendrick spent much of her presentation on a proposed property‑tax change that she said was rushed through the process: "We had five days to hear what his proposal was and then to vote on it," she said, arguing that compressed timing prevented lawmakers from assessing unintended consequences for local services and revenue.

She warned the town council that eliminating or sharply reducing property taxes without other safeguards could push costs onto renters and businesses, noting that counties and municipalities could raise non‑homestead millage and that some communities with little commercial tax base could face large revenue gaps. "You're looking at entire counties at verge of collapsing," she said, describing scenarios where homestead exemptions would shift burdens to a minority of properties.

Tendrick also reviewed other measures that affect local control and operations: an expansion of the Live Local Act to allow qualifying affordable housing projects on certain public and institutional lands; HB145, which raises sovereign immunity limits and shortens the time to present claims; HB1329, which expands budget posting and impact fee rules; SB1134, which restricts local government actions related to diversity, equity and inclusion; SB484, a framework for large data centers; and HB803, which changes permitting and inspection rules and establishes private‑provider frameworks.

Council members asked few substantive questions during the presentation; the council thanked Tendrick for her work on the domestic violence package and invited further conversations about property‑tax implications for Lantana.

Tendrick said she would remain available after the meeting for constituents to follow up and urged residents to contact her with ideas for future bills.

Next steps: Tendrick said the governor’s signature or veto could affect the funding she mentioned and that the council and staff should continue to monitor implementation details and any administrative rules that follow the enacted laws.