Amendment 5 for the November Ballot goes to the Florida Supreme Court
I haven’t commented on any of the proposed amendments on this Novembers ballot. But there is one that may have already gotten removed.
The Florida Supreme Court will decide the fate of the Amendment 5 tax swap plan.
The 1st District Court of Appeal agreed Tuesday to pass the case directly to the state’s high court without a ruling.
The decision follows last week’s ruling by U.S. Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper in Leon County to remove the proposal from the Nov. 4 ballot. The Florida Supreme Court has set oral arguments for Sept. 8 – Orlando Business Journal
Amendment 5 was to reduce property taxes for education and place a 1 cent sales tax to make up for the lost revenue on property taxes.
Replacing state required school property taxes with state revenues generating an equivalent hold harmless amount for schools through one or more of the following options: repealing sales tax exemptions not specifically excluded; increasing sales tax rate up to one percentage point; spending reductions; other revenue options created by the legislature. Limiting subject matter of laws granting future exemptions. Limiting annual increases in assessment of non-homestead real property. Lowering property tax millage rate for schools.
What isn’t noted in the description and title of the amendment is that the repealing of sales tax exemptions implies tax exemptions such as services and food. Currently, neither of these are taxed.
As a homeowner, I think it is ridiculous that we are paying such high property taxes. But at the same time, I don’t agree with swapping the property tax for a sales tax. All this does is place the burden of funding under performing schools on those who can pay for it the least instead of those who have the ability to pay for it.
The problem isn’t the high property taxes. The problem is Florida’s ranking nation wide on standardized tests such as the ACT. Being in the bottom three of fifty begs the question as to what the school system is doing with existing monies to fix the problem. They have had record revenues in the last few years and should not be complaining of a shortage now.
The last amendment passed reducing taxes also did not reduce the education taxes on properties. Just the value taxes.
If you don’t own a home, you will be paying higher taxes if this passes. If you own a home, you may be paying higher taxes depending on how much you spend during the year on goods and services. Either way, you will be paying higher taxes in most cases.