Florida Senate - 2007 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SJR 2-D, 1st Eng.
Barcode 185410
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 Senator Haridopolos moved the following amendment:
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13 Senate Amendment
14 On page 17, line 18,
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16 insert:
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
18 placed on the ballot:
19 CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
20 ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3, 4, 6, AND 9
21 ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1
22 ARTICLE XII, SECTIONS 27 AND 28
23 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS; LIMITATIONS ON AD VALOREM TAX
24 INCREASES; ELECTED PROPERTY APPRAISERS.--This revision
25 proposes changes to the State Constitution relating to ad
26 valorem taxation and elected property appraisers. With respect
27 to homestead property, this revision: (1) adds an additional
28 homestead exemption for most homeowners, (2) provides an
29 additional homestead exemption for certain low-income seniors,
30 (3) provides an additional homestead exemption that diminishes
31 over time for first-time Florida homebuyers, and (4) provides
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Florida Senate - 2007 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SJR 2-D, 1st Eng.
Barcode 185410
1 for the transfer of Save-Our-Homes benefits that are not
2 related to school taxes. With respect to nonhomestead
3 property, this revision allows the Legislature to provide by
4 law for the assessment of (5) affordable housing and (6)
5 certain waterfront property under specific circumstances, and
6 (7) provides a $25,000 exemption for tangible personal
7 property. Further, this revision (8) requires the Legislature
8 to limit the authority of local governments other than school
9 districts to increase property taxes, and (9) requires all
10 county property appraisers to be elected.
11 In more detail, this revision:
12 (1) Increases the homestead exemption by providing an
13 additional homestead exemption for the portion of the assessed
14 value greater than $50,000 and up to $75,000. This exemption
15 does not apply to school taxes.
16 (2) Provides an additional homestead exemption for
17 certain low-income seniors. Persons 65 or older whose
18 household income is less than $23,604, adjusted annually for
19 inflation, will be exempt from ad valorem taxes, including
20 school taxes, on the first $100,000 of the homestead
21 property's assessed value.
22 (3) Provides an additional exemption for first-time
23 homebuyers beginning in 2008. First-time homebuyers in Florida
24 who qualify for homestead exemption will be eligible for an
25 additional exemption in an amount equal to 25 percent of the
26 initial just value of their new homestead, not to exceed 25
27 percent of the median just value for homesteads in the county
28 for the prior year. The amount of the exemption is offset each
29 year by the amount of the accrued Save-Our-Homes benefit. When
30 the Save-Our-Homes benefit meets or exceeds the exemption, the
31 exemption is lost. This exemption is also available to 2007
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Florida Senate - 2007 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SJR 2-D, 1st Eng.
Barcode 185410
1 first-time homebuyers who qualify for homestead exemption on
2 January 1, 2008. This exemption does not apply to school
3 taxes.
4 (4) Provides for the transfer of accumulated
5 Save-Our-Homes benefits in a manner that does not affect
6 school taxes. Homestead property owners will be able to
7 transfer their Save-Our-Homes benefit to a new homestead
8 within 2 years after relinquishing their previous homestead;
9 except, if the new homestead is established on January 1,
10 2008, the previous homestead must have been relinquished in
11 2007. If the new homestead has a higher just value than the
12 old one, the benefit can be transferred; if the new homestead
13 has a lower just value, the amount of benefit transferred will
14 be reduced in proportion of the just value of the new
15 homestead to the just value of the old homestead. The
16 transferred benefit may not exceed $1 million. This provision
17 does not apply to school taxes on the new homestead.
18 (5) Provides for assessing certain rent-restricted
19 affordable housing property as provided by general law. This
20 provision does not apply to school taxes.
21 (6) Provides for assessing certain waterfront property
22 used for commercial fishing, commercial water-dependent
23 activities, and public access as provided by general law. This
24 provision does not apply to school taxes.
25 (7) Authorizes an exemption from ad valorem taxes of
26 $25,000 of assessed value of tangible personal property. This
27 provision applies to all tax levies.
28 (8) Requires the Legislature to limit the authority of
29 counties, municipalities, and special districts to increase ad
30 valorem taxes.
31 (9) Requires each county to have an elected property
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Florida Senate - 2007 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SJR 2-D, 1st Eng.
Barcode 185410
1 appraiser or person responsible for the duties of a property
2 appraiser as a county officer and eliminates the option for
3 choosing that county officer in any other manner provided by
4 county charter or special law approved by vote of the electors
5 of the county. The requirement that a property appraiser or
6 person responsible for the duties of a property appraiser be
7 elected by the electors of the county applies in each county
8 without exception, including each charter county, regardless
9 of the authority under which the charter was adopted and
10 notwithstanding constitutional grants of authority to charter
11 counties.
12 Further, this revision:
13 a. Repeals obsolete language on the homestead
14 exemption when it was less than $25,000 and did not apply
15 uniformly to property taxes levied by all local governments.
16 b. Moves two current provisions related to the
17 homestead exemption and makes them applicable to the increased
18 homestead exemption.
19 c. Schedules the changes to take effect upon approval
20 by the electors and operate retroactively to January 1, 2008,
21 if approved in a special election held on January 29, 2008, or
22 to take effect January 1, 2009, if approved in the general
23 election held in November of 2008.
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