DeSantis Slams Broward County Budget as Commissioners Defend Property Tax Plan
“It’s impossible to take away our property taxes and not defund the police.” — Broward Commissioner Steve Geller
Broward Passes $1.7 Billion Budget with Small Tax Cut
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Broward County Commission this week approved a $1.7 billion property tax budget, including a small reduction in the county’s millage rate. Commissioner Michael Udine, who has long advocated for lowering the rate, defended the plan in an interview with Local 10 News.
“Taxpayers are stressed. They’re paying more in insurance, they’re paying more for HOA fees, more in everything,” Udine said. “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.”
DeSantis Calls Broward’s Spending “Ridiculous”
Governor Ron DeSantis blasted the county’s budget during a stop in Franklin County on Wednesday. He pointed to what he called runaway spending despite stagnant population growth.
“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,” DeSantis said.
The governor also reiterated his call for an unprecedented overhaul of Florida’s tax system: eliminating property taxes altogether.
“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,” DeSantis said. “They shouldn’t be able to charge you rent just to live in your own house.”
County Pushback: “Numbers Don’t Add Up”
Not all Broward officials agree with the governor’s assessment. District 5 Commissioner Steve Geller called the millage cut “a symbolic gesture,” noting that the average homeowner will save about one dollar a year. Geller also accused DeSantis of misrepresenting Broward’s budget by including billions in federal and state earmarked funds that county leaders cannot reallocate.
“If you look at the actual spending numbers, the governor left out one really important detail — inflation,” Geller said.
More importantly, Geller argued that DeSantis’ push to abolish property taxes would cripple essential services.
“Of our budget, 85% of our money that we can spend is property taxes. 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,” he said.
The Bigger Fight
Broward County is Florida’s second-most populous county and a Democratic stronghold making it a frequent political target for DeSantis. The governor’s promise to eliminate property taxes plays well with conservative voters statewide, but county officials warn it would devastate local budgets, undermine public safety, and destabilize services millions rely on.
For now, Broward homeowners will see only minimal relief. But the clash underscores a larger political divide: DeSantis’ push to reshape Florida’s tax system against local leaders’ fight to keep the lights on and the sheriff’s deputies paid.
Sources
- Local 10 News – Broward County Commission approves $1.7 billion property tax budget
- Local 10 News – DeSantis criticizes Broward budget, pushes to eliminate property taxes
