- March 9, 2026
Dear Editor,
Florida homeowners are rightfully excited about the push for meaningful property tax relief, including the House-passed proposal (HJR 203) to phase out non-school taxes on homestead properties. If voters approve it in November 2026, families across Volusia County and the state could see substantial savings — potentially thousands of dollars annually — easing the burden of skyrocketing assessments and insurance costs.
But let’s be clear: this relief must come from genuine fiscal discipline, not from backdoor maneuvers that replace one tax with another. According to your article, local officials warn that losing millions in property tax revenue (estimates $11.2M) will force Ormond Beach to hike fees—for permits, utilities, trash collection, impact fees, or even new assessments—or raise other taxes like sales taxes. That isn’t relief; it’s a shell game that shifts the burden onto the same residents, especially renters and lower-income families who pay indirectly through higher costs.
The solution isn’t inventing new ways to extract money—it’s cutting government spending. Local budgets have ballooned in recent years with expanded programs, administrative overhead, and questionable priorities. Leaders at the city level should prioritize trimming waste, eliminating redundancies, streamlining bureaucracy, and focusing taxpayer dollars strictly on essential services: public safety (police, fire, EMS), roads and infrastructure, and education.
Proven approaches—like strict spending caps tied to inflation and population growth, performance audits, and zero-based budgeting—have delivered real relief in other states without resorting to fee increases. The county and the city can do the same. True reform means living within our means, not maintaining bloated budgets by reaching deeper into residents’ pockets through alternative charges.
I urge our local officials to commit to budget cuts over new fees. Homeowners deserve straightforward, honest tax relief—not creative accounting that leaves us paying more overall.
Luz Harshman
Ormond Beach
Send letters up to 400 words to [email protected].
