FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — This week, the Broward County Commission approved a $1.7 billion property tax budget, with a small reduction in the county’s millage rate.
Commissioner Michael Udine spoke to Local 10 News about it, explaining that he’s pushed for years to adjust the rate, and that while this isn’t a huge change, it’s a good thing for homeowners.
“Taxpayers are stressed, they’re paying more in insurance, they’re paying more at HOA fees, more in everything,” said Udine. “It’s a fiscally sound budget. It lowers the tax rate and it’s a way to bend the curve down as we move forward.”
But the changes haven’t stopped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from criticizing the county’s budget at an event in Franklin County on Wednesday.
“You got a place like Broward, they’ve had no net population increase in the last five years and their budget has gone up 60%, and so people are paying more in property tax,” said DeSantis.
The governor said he’s auditing Broward County and continuing to push for something no state has ever done before, eliminating property tax.
“If you were just a Florida resident and you own a home and that’s your homesteaded property, in my vision, is that you should own that free and clear of the government,” said DeSantis. “They shouldn’t be able to charge you rent just to live in your own house.”
Broward District 5 Commissioner Steve Geller sat down with Local 10’s Saira Anwer and said the county’s priority should be increasing reserves over reducing the millage rate, calling the latter a symbolic gesture.
“The decrease in the millage rate will impact Broward County homeowners by about a dollar a year,” he said.
As for DeSantis’ remarks about Broward County, Geller said the governor misrepresented Broward’s budget with figures that include billions in state and federally earmarked dollars that county leaders don’t have control over, like money designated for the airport and seaport.
“If you look at the actual spending numbers, the governor left out one really important detail, inflation,” said Geller.
He went on to say the elimination of property tax, which the governor is advocating for, would have consequences that county leaders and most residents will not stand for.
“Of our budget, 85% of our money that we can spend is property taxes,” said Geller “Fifty-six percent of our money that we can spend goes to the sheriff, so do the math. It’s impossible to take away our property taxes and not defund the police.”
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