Backroom briefing

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference south of Ocala on Feb. 25, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Since Gov. Ron DeSantis started his push to slash homestead property taxes, he has suggested lost government revenue could be offset by taxes collected from tourists and seasonal residents.

On Wednesday, he suggested visitors also could help free Floridians from turnpike system tolls.

“These tolls, they’ve been here since I can remember, like as a kid, that they had the tolls on the turnpike. You know, at what point is all this going to be paid off?” DeSantis said to Ben Watkins, director of the Florida Division of Bond Finance, during a Cabinet meeting. “Look, you could charge the visitors, and they could probably support it all and give our Florida residents a break. I think that would be really good.”

The comment came as part of a broader talk about affordability. Watkins responded that “we’ll take a look at that.”

“Let me know,” DeSantis replied. “If there’s a will, there’s a way. And we’ll try to figure out how to get it done.”

Tolls have been collected on Florida’s Turnpike since its first section opened as the Sunshine State Parkway in 1957. About $2 billion is collected annually.

The money, initially used to pay off bonds that financed building the road, goes towards new projects. About 80 percent of the 3 million daily customers use toll transponders, which offer a lower cost than paying cash.

GOING LOCAL

Less than a month after exiting the Florida House, where she was a co-chairwoman of the Select Committee on Property Taxes, Vicki Lopez this week expressed concerns to state lawmakers about the effects on local governments of cutting property taxes.

As a recently appointed Miami-Dade County commissioner, Lopez was among several speakers who addressed the Miami-Dade County legislative delegation Monday about property taxes.

Of particular note was the only property tax measure (HJR 209) ready to go before the full House once the regular legislative session begins Jan. 13. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Demi Busatta, who like Lopez is a Republican from Miami-Dade, would increase the homestead property tax exemption for residents who have property insurance.

“Any reduction, and I mean any reduction now to property taxes, will in fact impact the services that people are receiving today,” Lopez said. “Our quality of life in South Florida, but in particular Miami-Dade County, is critical to providing what we know now are essential services.”

The state Revenue Estimating Conference projected the Busatta proposal would cut local government revenue across the state by $8.6 billion annually.

Lopez voiced support for another measure (HJR 205), sponsored by Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, R-Miami, that would exempt people ages 65 and older from paying non-school taxes on their homes.

“Many of our residents that are 65 and over are living on fixed income, and those are the ones that need it most,” Lopez said. “So, if you’re looking to do something, it’s that that makes the most sense.”

Lopez exited the state House after being appointed by county commissioners on Nov. 18 to replace Eileen Higgins, a Democrat who later was elected Miami mayor.

In September, when the House select committee began a two-day review of property taxes, Lopez said one option could be for some municipalities to “fold back into the county” if revenue is reduced.

“Look at Holmes County. It’s a fiscally constrained county. Has approximately 15,000 people living in the county. It has five municipalities,” Lopez said. “They will have to ask themselves … does it make sense? Because, again, this has to make sense for the taxpayer, right, not for the actual government subdivision.”

The House later released eight property-tax proposals, including seven that would need voter approval because they are proposed constitutional amendments.

CABINET MEETINGS LINED UP

DeSantis and Cabinet members are tentatively scheduled to meet five times in 2026, with four additional meetings of the statewide elected officials in their role as the Board of Executive Clemency.

The fifth Cabinet meeting could help tie things up after the 2026 elections, when DeSantis can’t run for re-election because of term limits.

“Obviously, this will be our final year of the Cabinet as governor in our office, and so we’ll have obviously plugged in an extra meeting, just given there’s a lot of housekeeping in between administrations.,” said Cody Farrill, DeSantis’ director of Cabinet affairs.

Farrill noted the meetings can change “at the discretion of the governor.” The Cabinet is made up of Attorney General James Uthmeier, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.

If all five Cabinet meetings are held, DeSantis will have overseen 42 in his eight years in office.

In his first year, 2019, there were 14, including a meeting in Israel and one held by phone. The COVID-19 pandemic cut a planned eight meetings to four in 2020.

There were five in 2021, two in 2022, five in 2023 and three in 2024. A meeting Wednesday was the fourth in 2025.

When U.S. Sen. Rick Scott was governor, there were 18 Cabinet meetings in 2011, between 11 and 15 the next six years, and nine in 2018. Under former Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush, the Cabinet met about 20 times a year.