Another group of Senate lawmakers is moving forward legislation that would impose a higher threshold on localities seeking higher property taxes.
The Senate Finance and Tax Committee advanced Chair Blaise Ingoglia's measure (SB 1322). The legislation now has one stop to go on the Senate side.
The "taxpayer protection bill" would go into effect in July, imposing the supermajority requirement for any millage increase after this year should it become law.
The legislation has already completed the committee process in the House. That measure (HB 1195) was sponsored by GOP Rep. Sam Garrison of Clay County.
Senators added an amendment Thursday to line the bill up with Garrison's version.
"Under current law, if a local government is going to adopt a rate more than 10% higher than the rollback rate, the vote has to be an unanimous vote unless the board has nine plus members and the rate was approved by referendum, then it's a three-quarter vote," Ingoglia said. "The amendment will provide an exception to keep that higher vote requirement in place."
School Boards have a carve-out if they want to put a millage hike on a ballot for referendum, Ingoglia noted in answering questions from Democrats. They could put it to the voters with a simple majority.
Bob McKee of the Florida Association of Counties spoke in opposition to the bill, saying certain millage hikes are already requiring a 2/3 majority and he wanted clarity in the law regarding which rule binds which particular vote.
A representative of the Florida League of Cities waived in opposition as well.
Ingoglia addressed concerns, saying the challenge is the way the current statute is written, making it hard to "figure out exactly what we're trying to do here."
But he said that "last year's base millage rate up to 110% (of that)" would require a supermajority.
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