DeSantis’s property tax cut plans alarm local officials.
By Johannes Werner and Klaus Obermeit
Original Air Date: November 14, 2025
Host: The property tax cuts pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis turned an already difficult relationship between local and state Republicans into open conflict. WSLR News’ Klaus Obermeit and Johannes Werner listened closely to the annual Sarasota Legislative Delegation meeting this Thursday in Venice.
Johannes Werner: Over one hundred people lined up, using their three minutes to ask for state funding, while voicing concerns, thanks and support to their state representatives for the upcoming 60-day session that begins January 13. That’s standard procedure at local legislative delegation meetings, and it played out again Thursday morning at the Sarasota County Legislative Delegation’s annual meeting at the County Administration Center in Venice.
Representatives Fiona McFarland, James Buchanan and Danny Nix
But this time, something was different from past meetings. We’ll get to that in a moment. Fiona McFarland, James Buchanan, and Danny Nix, Sarasota County’s all-Republican representatives in the Florida House of Representatives, were on hand. McFarland chairs the delegation this year. As she was running the meeting, she was the most visible of the trio. Nix and Buchanan asked occasional follow-up questions.
Joe Gruters, the termed-out senator and freshly elected chair of the national Republican Party, was absent. Gruters has endorsed James Buchanan in his run for the Sarasota senate seat.
As usual, the meeting began with representatives from the county and city. In meetings past, local officials would focus on projects they needed funding for from the Republican-dominated state legislature. But this time, one after another, local Republican officials spent more time voicing concerns over state laws that preempt local decision-making, such as the expanded Schools of Hope law, or SB 180, a new law that restricts local planning.
The mother of all worries, however, is Governor Ron DeSantis’ ambition to give Floridians, as his parting gift, an end to property taxes, or at least a big property tax break. Property taxes are a major source of funding for city and county governments.
Ken Schneier
Rather than asking for money, Ken Schneier, the Republican mayor of the Town of Longboat Key, begged legislators to stop doing damage.
Phil Stokes, the Republican mayor of North Port, put it like this:
Phil Stokes
Phil Stokes: We ask that, as you work to enact legislation to provide overdue tax relief for us all, you carefully and thoughtfully consider the serious impact those choices will have on local municipalities and counties. Doing more with less works to some degree, but when doing with less jeopardizes the safety and quality of life of our residents, then we trade one problem for others.
JW: Another Republican—Longboat Key Commissioner B.J. Bishop—spoke for the Florida League of Cities at the meeting. She not only said that an end of property taxes would threaten basic services provided by her town. She also brought up James Buchanan’s father—U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan, who lives on Longboat Key—which prompted a retort by Chair McFarland.
B.J. Bishop
B.J. Bishop: The most urgent issue that we have every year is supporting legislative efforts that strengthen and protect the rights of Florida citizens to govern themselves under municipal home rule powers conferred by the Florida Constitution. As such, we strongly recommend that we maintain home rule and local control at the municipal level, that we deal with financial stability for all of our communities—and I can tell you that all of our communities are seriously concerned with the issue of property tax reduction or possible elimination. For my community of Longboat Key, 71% of our budget is based on property taxes, and our citizens demand emergency services, police, fire, rescue and public works. Without those, they would be in dire trouble. James, I would not want to ever have to speak to your dad and say, “Sorry we couldn’t get an ambulance there, but we had to cut those services on Longboat because we’re out of money.”
Fiona McFarland
Fiona McFarland: Commissioner, thank you for your comments. I’ll just remind you: Let’s keep people’s families out of our policy discussions.
JW: With a follow-up question, McFarland suggested that the DeSantis cuts will only be for homesteaded properties. But Bishop’s response left it clear that the revenue loss for the Town of Longboat Key would still be substantial.
FM: Thank you. Commissioner, I have just one question. You mentioned that 71% of Longboat Key’s revenue comes from property taxes. Do you know what portion of that is from homesteaded properties?
BJB: 60% of the homes on Longboat Key are homesteaded.
JW: Two local chambers of commerce—the North Port chamber and the Venice chamber—also voiced concerns over the viability of cities if the state sunsets property taxes.
Many speakers voiced concerns about the expanded Schools of Hope law, which is seen as an intrusion of private schools into public school facilities at taxpayer expense. Sarasota School Superintendent Terry Connor mentioned, just in passing, the need for local control. But Robin Williams, chair of the Manasota Democratic Public Education Caucus, did not mince words to the area state representatives, all of whom voted for the last-minute measure in this year’s session.
Robin Williams
Robin Williams: Co-sponsor SB 424, repealing the disastrous Schools of Hope scheme you unfortunately voted for and undo the damage. Co-locations like having Vrbo making big bucks renting rooms in your own home while you get stuck paying the mortgage, utilities, maintenance, health care and food for squatters.
JW: Another issue worrying a number of speakers, including Elizabeth Cuevas Neunder, the mother of Sarasota County Commission Chair Joe Neunder, was the power of homeowner association boards to intimidate and bully homeowners. Although bipartisan bills to reform HOAs received widespread support in the last legislative session, local lawmakers may feel encouraged to take HOA reform a step further.
Reporting for WSLR News, Johannes Werner. Thank you to Klaus Obermeit for reporting from Venice.
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