Tampa Tribune Editorial Against Property Tax Amendment

The conservative Tampa Tribune editorial board is urging voters to not approve the property tax amendment. What the Trib points out is the unfairness of the amendment.

Lawmakers cannot explain why someone buying a first home - or moving here from out of state - should be forced to pay radically higher taxes than someone who trades up into a much more expensive residence. Instead of addressing the inequities, they followed Gov. Charlie Crist's simplistic advice to make matters worse. Eventually, a judge is likely to rule that the inequities are so great that they are unconstitutional, and kill the Save Our Homes amendment altogether.

Under existing law, at least everyone who buys a new home is treated the same. Under the proposed version of portability, homesteaders can transfer up to $500,000 of sheltered value to a new property.

This change promises a longtime homesteader who downsizes a virtually tax-free retirement, while grandchildren buying their first home could be taxed to death.

What the Trib doesn't mention is we can expect legal challenges to the constitutionality of the amendment. The taxation does not treat all as equal. A transplaned resident can by the same model home as a retiree downgrading to a smaller house. They have the same homes in the same neighborhood. The resident whom recently moved to Florida will pay much more taxes.

The stupidity of this is it is discouraging people from moving into Florida. Growth is the engine that feeds tax revenue. I would love to see Florida get off the growth monster. Crist and the legislature do not have to spine to revamp the tax system. The amendment was designed for short-term political considerations. Crist and the Republican legislature have no regard for fiscal responsibility.