Property Taxes Aren't 'Paying for Services' — They're Rent to the Government Forever

Florida has no income tax and Governor Ron DeSantis has now moved on to eliminating property tax. In his opinion, once a home is paid off, the owner should actually OWN it and not continue to pay fees to the state for the house for all of time. Furthermore, if they don't pay those fees, they could still lose said house.

The reality is that local governments taxed $32 billion on property in 2019. Today, that has ballooned to $60 billion.

If no relief is enacted, that number is projected to be $84 billion by the beginning of next decade — almost a tripling of the tax revenue in a little more… https://t.co/bRU7nhWBUx
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) March 28, 2026

Ending property taxes for primary (homesteaded) residences of FL residents will not lead to the rich “buying everything up” anymore than under the current regime, as there will be no added tax benefit for buying second homes and/or investment properties.

Plus, why be a serf to… https://t.co/eTaTEGeRag
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 14, 2025

Governor DeSantis has taken arrows from all sides and has defended ending property taxes admirably. There are new objections, however.

I’m very confused about the number of people who think “property tax” is a sales tax on you home rather than taxes to pay for public services you use every day.

“I paid off my home why do i still pay property taxes?!?!?”

Oh, did you also stop using the roads and libraries and…
— Rushi (@rushicrypto) March 30, 2026

The biggest flaw in this thinking is that it dumps the entire cost of public services — roads, sidewalks, schools, police, and everything else — squarely on the backs of homeowners. But homeowners aren’t the only ones using those services. Renters drive on the same roads, walk the same sidewalks, and send their kids to the same schools. When only property owners foot the bill, it’s fundamentally unfair.

The fairest way to make everyone contribute? A broad-based sales tax. We all buy stuff. Every time someone makes a purchase, they pitch in — whether they own a home or rent. That way, everyone has real skin in the game, and the burden is shared more equitably across the entire community.

I’m very confused about the number of people who think property taxes based on an arbitrary value of a home are the only way to pay for city services.💁🏼‍♂️ https://t.co/ITfuR3gC0N
— Governor Dill (@TheGreenOldDill) March 30, 2026

Also, this. Every year, a homeowner has to pay more taxes even though absolutely nothing about their home had changed just because the local property appraiser believes it could sell for one price or the other.

I’m very confused about the number of people who think “property tax” is taxes you pay for services you consume instead of a made up asset value the county used to collateralize a bond offering so they could hire 8,000 administrators for a school with a 40% literacy rate. https://t.co/Y6TNdxfj4S
— VK’s Midlife Crisis (@TURBOPOSSUM) March 30, 2026

Apparently the cost of your public services is not based on your usage, but on how much your stuff is worth?

I’m very confused by deliberate stupidity. https://t.co/66uZaxOtuD
— Jason “Storm Chaser” Nelson (@RealJasonNelson) March 30, 2026

Maybe it’s confusing because the vast majority of people who use those “public services”—non-homeowners, visitors, transients, and illegals—aren’t being wrung dry in order to pay for them.

Hope that helps. 👍🏻 https://t.co/cAhDOG9E7K
— Josef Bosch (@realjosefbosch) March 30, 2026

That's exactly why it's confusing. It's also not fair.