House bill on property-tax limits could cut St. Johns County general fund by tens of millions, staff warn

Budget staff told the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners that proposed state changes to property-tax rules could sharply reduce local general-fund revenue.

The budget presenter said the Florida Association of Counties’ analysis for St. Johns County estimated “Year 1 property tax reduction would be more than $60,000,000 and then year 2… over $113,000,000 reduction to the general fund.” The presenter emphasized those figures reflect the proposal as negotiated at the state level and that the bill had not been signed into law.

The proposal described (House Bill 1329, as discussed in the session) would, if approved by voters in a referendum, confine property-tax revenue to six categories, including public safety (law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services and education/public schools), infrastructure (roads, bridges and stormwater), financing or refinancing natural-resource projects including flood control, issuing bonds for those allowed purposes, and meeting retirement obligations. Staff said uses outside those categories would be restricted under the proposed language.

Commissioners were told the county will monitor the special session and related proposals and that administrative staff will convene department directors to examine operational implications and develop potential mitigation strategies. One commissioner said directors should be briefed quickly so operational leaders can propose offsets or alternatives.

Why it matters: County staff said the scale of reductions, if the measure passes, would require elected officials and department leaders to prioritize core services and consider adjustments to staffing, capital plans and alternative revenue strategies.

What happens next: Staff said they will continue to monitor state action, analyze the final bill language, and convene a directors’ meeting to evaluate operational impact and possible offsets prior to any county-level decisions or ballot implementation steps.