Crist: 'Seize the moment' on property taxes

With the main players in general agreement over property taxes, a deal could be formalized in the next few days and lawmakers may begin deliberations by the weekend, Gov. Charlie Crist said Monday night.

"If you have consensus," he told the Times, "€œwhy not seize the moment?"

Lawmakers will wrap up work on the budget Friday morning and the hope is the special session could be simply extended rather than taking a break and reconvening later this month.

That would save travel expenses and build on the goodwill and momentum of an easier-than-expected budget-cutting session.

"Things have moved very very well, and if we can keep that going we may be able to be done sooner than later. Which I know the people want,"€ Crist said.

Crist offered a host of caveats, but his comments -- based on detailed talks with top Republicans and Democrats -- represent the strongest sign that lawmakers will be able to refashion a deal to put before voters on Jan. 29.

A judge recently threw out the Legislature'€™s "€ so-called super€ homestead exemption plan, saying it was misleading because people might not know Save Our Homes would be phased out.

Lawmakers now agree that Save Our Homes, an annual 3 percent assessment cap, will be preserved even if it has shifted more tax burden to commercial and nonhomestead property owners.

The new deal could look something list this: Homeowners could carry the accrued Save Our Homes benefit when they move, a concept known as €"portability."€ The current $25,000 homestead exemption would be doubled and there would be help for first-time home buyers.

Businesses would get a break on taxes paid on equipment and lawmakers want to end an assessment practice called "highest and best,"€ which can make a used car lot (or similar lower end property) pay a lot more simply because the land has more lucrative potential. Harder revenue caps on local government are also a possibility.

"€œIt'€™s really starting to come together nicely," said Crist, a Republican. "There'€™s a very strong consensus and sentiment that we need to keep it simple."

Working in the Legislature'€™s favor is the lack of divisiveness that marred negotiations over property taxes last spring as the House and Senate battled over the depth of cuts while the governor largely stayed out of the debate.

This time, Crist is asserting himself, meeting privately with the players and calling them on the phone. Failure to put something before voters during the January presidential primary could hurt Crist as much as the Legislature, if not more.

Another advantage: The concepts are not new. Crist campaigned on portability and doubling the homestead exemption.

"€œHe'€™s the ultimate optimist,"€ said Rep. Jack Seiler, a leading Democrat from Broward County, who has been talking with the governor. €"When the governor is working with both parties and both chambers there's a lot of reasons for optimism."

Plus, Seiler said, lawmakers would be eager to resolve the problem rather than going into another special
session. "I would love to get back to work Friday,"€ he said.

Comments

A superb solution for property tax relief:

Eliminate the school portion of property taxes and add 1% more in sales tax. Make Save-Our-Homes portable and transferable to immediate family members. Roll back taxes to 2003 level before real estate boom & add back in inflation and growth. Cap local government from the outrageous out of control spending.

YOU WOULD GET NEARLY 70-80% SUPPORT FROM VOTERS IMHO.

Governor Crist's political future & legacy rides on property tax cut. If he does not deliver on his number one campaign promise, no one will trust him again.

[terminator]

Charlie's doubling the homestead idea is tepid at best. No BHAI's here.
You'll be able to take your family to McD's with the difference.
Isn't everyone buying into it because it's the best these chuckleheads in Tallahassee can come up with so they don't come back home smelling like *hit!

[Cal]

This proposal is simply not enough after the recent rise. A minimum roll-back to 2002 is needed. This can be done statutorily without a statewide vote like in June.
The Republican control legislature have the vote if the Democrats do not support Floridians call for substantial tax relief.
Then we can vote out these Democrats.

[Cal]

Doubling the current exemption will do very little after local government gorged themselves the last few years.

THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!

Anything with portability is better than the recently struck proposed amendment.

Cap all property, not just homesteads.

This is hardly property tax relief.

A pure "Tallahassee Special"!!

Saving will be what two hundred dollars for avg. family after doubling?

what a joke, this plan is even worst than the Super Exemption

Contact Speaker Marco Rubio and tell him the plan stinks!

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4180&SessionId=42

here is my e-mail:

Dear Speaker Rubio,

The rumored proposal to double the $25,000 simply is not enough after local governments have gorged themselves. This plan is a total "Tallahasse Special" and is worst than the Super Amendment.

I urge you to block this plan from happening.
A minimum plan should roll back property taxes to 2003 levels, and this can be done statutorily if Democrats threaten to block property tax relief.

Florida's future is at stake. A "Tallahasse Special" so everyone can pat themselve on the back including the Governor will just not do.

Sincerely,

NO "Tallahasse Special" just so everyone can pat themselves on back including the governor. Either do it right or don't do it at all.

Speaker of the House Marco Rubio should block any proposal that even smell like a Tallahassee Special.

This plan would hardly reduce property taxes.

[watchinit]

Rubio will cave on this to Crist like he has everything else.
He's too immature for the job and that's going to hurt Sansom next year.

And "drop like a rock" "gallactically stupid " Charlie will as always seize the day acting as though he did the work forming up the parade when all he really did was show up at the last minute and jump to the front...

Hey Mr. Gallactically Stupid , when are you going to stop acting like a friggin rock star and actually do some real work for the people of Florida.
I need my car insurance to drop like a rock. I need my property taxes to drop like a rock and I need my property insurance assessments to drop like a rock. My chances of any of that happening are slim until your ratings drop like a rock...

To the people who think Mr. Gallactically Stupid is worthy of your vote , wake up , you're being had.
there is absolutely nothing Charlie Crist has done that will fix and spur Florida's economy. And in the long run we're all going to pay for his shallow
solicitous pandering to the masses.

Dumb and dumber is the GOP leadership's conduct on taxes.The Dems are not blocking anything except they want relef for landlords and to protect education .Dont whip the Dems they have been almost totally disinfranchized and have had no inpput in the last plan.The legislature and the gov need to figure out that they must be accountable for any plan ..Several items must be addressed.Portability of SOH,Lower taxes on business and rental properties,review of protected sales tax exemtions,increase in sales taxes to cover any education funding loss in Floridas poorly fundded educational system..Balance and fairness is needed ..If the Democratic leadership can stop Commandante Rubio and Bogernoff (Soon to be defeated won by 97 votes last time)and the Senate wakes up we will have a good bill or amendment.A\a one party neocon dictatorship wont fly. Truly George w Bush.

My property insurance doubled. My property taxes went up. I can't afford any more of their "fixes."

They "fix" and "fix" and "fix" and, as a result, the taxpayer remains "broke."

They didn't have time during the regular session to deal with these issues because they were so busy playing around. And for this, they get a 3% raise.

We need to eliminate term limits and get some people there who are capable of actually thinking and working. This current crop can't walk and chew gum at the same time!

[Ronnie]

I will not vote for any tax proposal that shifts more burden on businesses and renters. They just don't get it, we want tax reduction across the board. Decreasing taxes on homesteads and adding taxes to businesses and landlords is NOT tax reduction! What is in the water in Tallahassee anyway?

Everything these bozos do are simply opportunities for photo ops. They'll pass this new version of tax "reform" and stand in front of the cameras and say they lowered taxes. Then when Crist is accepting the Democratic nomination for VP, he'll say that he was able to acheive things in a bipartisan atmosphere.

Isn't this the same plan that he ran on????? OMG the legislature passes a bill the Charlie signs off on because it would be savings for Floridians, that is nixed by the courts and low and behold, we have the original plan. Although his personality may be disarming, we may wan't to listen and follow the Gov.

Rollback rates to 2002 levels and expand SOH to all property. Problem solved.

Ditto Ronnie! Don't they know that businesses are the ones that provide jobs in this state - the more these "fixes" hurt businesses, the more of them that are going to leave. Me included!

A modest proposal on the tax cut front, but the SOS portability is a major improvement.

As a North Floridian, I feel for you South Floridians and your out-of-whack property tax levels, but the super-exemption would have done serious harm to the quality of life up here, where our governments have not spent like drunken sailors.

If you want to reduce property taxes, I suppose you need to do it the hard, old-fashioned way. Organize and vote out the leaders that are overtaxing you. Or move on up to North Florida. We'll leave the light on for you.

Rollback rates to 2002 levels and expand SOH to all property. Problem solved.

“Crist offered a host of caveats”

I thought Dick Caveat was a host?

Portability is the worst idea anyone ever came up with. They all complain that SOH caused a disparity, and yet, her they are about to solidify the disparity permanently. It will lock new buyers out of the market and those that bought within the last 5 years are locked into high taxes--those are the people most likely to walk away and foreclose because of the current situation. Portability will cause a huge recession in Florida. Couple that with a stupid double homestead exemption where the guy who's still paying $1200 a year next to the guy who's paying $4,000 a year get the same $200 off and you finish off the housing market. Why should someone who pays $1,200 get the same exact amount of reduction as someone paying $4,000? Rubio--stand up to this bad governor!!!!

[Rep Carl J Domino]

Since I developed the portability concept several years ago it has received positive votes at every committee stop in both the House and Senate.

Rollback rates to 2002 levels and expand SOH to all property.

Problem solved!

Carpe Pecunia! Crappy Momento for Florida's future.

7:09 AM, the Democrats have consistently blocked or threaten to block getting substantial property tax relief as demanded by Floridian homeowners.

Led by Steve Geller, they have threaten to vote no on getting a better proposal to the people.
These tax & spend democrats that want local government to continue the gouging will pay at election time.
Their voting against property tax relief will be highlighted for voters.

Rollback rates to 2002 levels and expand SOH to all property.

Problem solved!

Roll back the state government budget levels and spending to 2002 levels...

All solved!

[John]

This is a Tallahassee Special !!

[Chris W]

10:14, good point. Letting home sellers take their Save Our Homes cap with them won't do anybody any good if the buyer still has to pay property taxes at the new rate. What good is a portable tax cap for sellers if nobody can afford to be a buyer?