Property Tax Referendum Moving Forward, Fix Leaking Wells, and more!
- IRNA
- 8 hours ago
- 7 min read
June 6, 2026 Weekly Newsletter
Florida Legislature Puts Property Tax
Overhaul on November Ballot
Florida lawmakers approved a sweeping homestead property tax exemption expansion during a two-day special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sending a constitutional amendment to the November ballot that would dramatically expand homestead exemptions while shielding school district funding from the plan's impact.
The Florida House passed the resolution 75-26, while the Senate passed it 30-9. Some Democrats also supported parts of the bill. Three Democratic senators voted for the measure while two Republicans voted against it.
What the Amendment Would Do
The proposal would increase the current $50,000 homestead exemption to $150,000 beginning in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. The expanded exemption would not apply to school taxes, after lawmakers revised DeSantis' original plan to shield school districts from major funding losses. The measure would also lower the cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties (which include vacation and investment homes and commercial properties) from 10 percent to 5 percent. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, first-time homeowners would need to establish five years of Florida residency before qualifying for the expanded exemption.
The constitutional amendment needs 60% of the vote to pass. If approved, it is expected to reduce local government revenue statewide by more than $8.4 billion annually.
Supporters
DeSantis and Republican leaders framed the measure as meaningful relief for homeowners facing a decade of rising costs. Local government property tax revenue has nearly doubled over the past seven years and is projected to reach $83 billion statewide by 2032, a core part of the case supporters make for why action is overdue. Senate President Ben Albritton said he backs the proposal because it delivers tax relief while preserving funding for public safety, education, and water infrastructure. House Speaker Daniel Perez said after the two-day session: "I'm proud of the opportunity that we are giving the voters by letting them decide if this is something that's going to come to fruition or not."
Opposition
The proposals face opposition from the Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, and others. Sanibel City Councilmember Holly Smith, president of the Florida League of Cities, called the overall proposal a tax shift. "When homesteaded properties come off the tax roll, the cost of services they don't disappear, it shifts to businesses and non-homesteaded properties," Smith said.
A Florida League of Cities analysis found that 85 cities wouldn't be able to pay for public safety at the same level even if they cut all other services funded by property taxes. Jeff Scala, deputy director of the Florida Association of Counties, told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee: "It's an historic shift. Cities could go bankrupt and counties could be forced to consolidate. Nobody's modeled it."
Florida's water management districts are also among the affected entities. Democrats twice attempted during the session to amend the bill to allow water management districts to continue using property tax revenue, but Republicans rejected Democratic amendments to sunset the changes in 2031 or to include water management districts as an allowed use for property taxes.
The Florida AFL-CIO compared the proposal to a rushed homework assignment, and Sen. Tina Polsky of Boca Raton called it "legislative malpractice" to consider and pass the legislation in two days. Some opponents also argued the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission (which meets once every 20 years and has broad authority to examine state and local government revenue) would be a more appropriate venue for analyzing changes of this magnitude.
The Florida Education Association also expressed opposition, noting that even with school levies protected, programs like after-school care and libraries could still be affected by broader cuts to local government budgets.
The amendment will appear on the November 2026 general election ballot. We'll have more information on this as it develops between now and the election.
Thanks to our May Lunch & Learn speaker Dana Little, Urban Design Director of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, IRNA helped spark a conversation that's now making waves in the press. TCPalm columnist Laurence Reisman attended Dana's presentation and wrote a thoughtful opinion piece exploring how smart growth planning (connected street grids, intentional density, intergovernmental collaboration, and traditional neighborhood design) can protect the Treasure Coast's character even as development pressure mounts. Read the article here.
The video of Dana's full presentation is available below.
PFAS Well Water Testing
IRNA is offering free, certified lab testing for PFAS ("forever chemicals") in private drinking water wells. Sign up, submit your water sample, and get your results, plus learn what they mean for your health.
We are especially searching for wells at or near Blue Cypress Lake, Fellsmere, Gifford, and Wabasso.
Open to Indian River County home and business owners on private wells only (not connected to municipal water). Questions? Contact Missy@IndianRiverNA.com
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Stand with the IRNA and help us amplify our community's voice. Your support fuels the fight to protect our natural resources, hold elected officials accountable, and drive the real change our neighborhoods deserve. Together, we don't just speak up, we make an impact that lasts.
Free Well Plugging Program Helps Protect Indian River County's Groundwater
If you or a neighbor have an old artesian well on your property that's been flowing unchecked, there's good news: Indian River County residents can have it permanently plugged at no cost through a state program administered by the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Free-flowing abandoned artesian wells are a serious environmental problem. A single well can waste millions of gallons of water per day, and as well casings age and deteriorate, they can allow poor-quality or saline water to migrate upward into the freshwater zones that supply our drinking water. They can also act as a direct conduit for surface contaminants to enter the aquifer.
Florida law requires well owners to control the discharge from artesian wells, allowing flow only for an intended use. Wells that can no longer be controlled due to deteriorating valves or casing must be permanently plugged. The District's program helps landowners meet that legal obligation, and until recently, residential property owners were charged a $600 fee to participate. That fee has been waived.
Since 1982, the District has plugged or capped more than 2,700 wells across its 18-county service area, with a maximum potential water savings of 745 million gallons per day. Indian River County is one of three counties with an active cost-share agreement with the District for this program.
The plugging process involves a site visit, correspondence with the property owner, geophysical logging of the well, and permanent plugging by a licensed contractor, who pumps cement grout to the bottom of the well and fills it to the surface. The District covers the cost for qualifying wells within its jurisdiction.
Finding abandoned wells remains the biggest challenge for the program. Many are on private property and simply unknown to regulators. If you know of a free-flowing artesian well (on your own property or elsewhere) contact the District at 386-643-1152 or learn more here.
Protecting our aquifer starts with closing the holes in it.
Sebastian finalizes Cresswind annexations (Hometown News TC) - The Sebastian City Council unanimously approved the voluntary annexation of the nearly 400-acre Cresswind property, expanding the city limits by nearly 600 total acres despite some resident opposition regarding the rapid pace of local development.
Step into Summer with June Events (Vero Beach Magazine) - Vero Beach Magazine outlines a variety of local events taking place throughout June and July, including guided sea turtle walks, gardening workshops, a police K-9 competition, an art workshop, the annual Waterlily Festival, a Shakespearean musical adaptation, a charity fishing tournament, and more.
Sebastian Inlet Bridge Replacement Project & Fishing Details (Sebastian Daily) - The Florida Department of Transportation has launched a six-year, $101.9 million project to replace the structurally deficient Sebastian Inlet Bridge with a modern span featuring improved clearances and pedestrian pathways, while largely maintaining public access to the local fishing jetties despite periodic lane and parking closures.
Demolition begins at Indian River Mall (TCPalm) - The Indian River Mall is undergoing demolition to transform the site into a redeveloped hybrid indoor-outdoor shopping hub. See what new Florida mall could look like after demolition.
Shores council asked to lift pickup truck ban (Vero News) - The Indian River Shores town council is considering whether to lift a decades-old ordinance that bans pickup trucks from being parked overnight in driveways and on town streets after residents at a public workshop overwhelmingly called the rule outdated and unnecessary.
Florida keeps growing, but who gets to decide how it grows? Paul Owens, president of 1000 Friends of Florida and former Orlando Sentinel opinions editor, makes a compelling case that these powers are being stripped from ordinary citizens. Legislators are eyeing changes to the state's foundational planning law that would allow more development to be approved without public hearings, cutting residents out of a process that directly shapes their neighborhoods, tax bills, environment, and quality of life.
The decisions being made right now about land use and growth management will determine whether Florida loses millions of acres of natural and agricultural land, whether infrastructure can even keep pace with population, and whether coastal communities retain any meaningful buffer against flooding and storms.
1000 Friends of Florida has spent decades fighting for sustainable, livable communities across the state — and Owens knows this terrain as well as anyone. If you care about water quality, land conservation, or simply having a voice in how your community develops, his piece lays out clearly why this legislative moment demands your attention.
Something is shifting in Florida politics - and developers should be worried (VoteWater.org) - Florida politicians are increasingly adopting growth management as a central campaign issue in response to growing voter frustration over uncontrolled development and its threats to the state's infrastructure and natural environment.
IRC Young Journalists publish 139 student articles in May 2026 magazine (Indian River Guardian) - The Young Journalist nonprofit organization has published a 165-page magazine featuring 139 articles written by local elementary and middle school students since October 2025, celebrating their hard work and exploration of diverse topics alongside foundational journalism concepts.
IRSC nixes plans for controversial data center amid claims college lied about project details (Vero News) - Indian River State College has canceled its plans to build a controversial data center in Okeechobee County following resident opposition over environmental concerns and allegations from the Florida Department of Commerce that the college lied on a $1.5 million state grant application.
When rockets go wrong – protecting the environment from catastrophe (BBC) - The growing number of commercial rocket launches and recent catastrophic explosions near protected wildlife areas have intensified concerns among environmental groups regarding the resulting debris, pollution, and overall impact on delicate ecosystems.
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