The homestead exemptions proposed would apply to levies other than school-district levies. The existing constitutional treatment of the school-tax homestead exemption would remain separate.
For that reason, statements that a qualifying homeowner would pay “no property taxes” are incomplete. A homeowner could owe little or nothing for certain county, municipal, or special-district levies, while still owing school-district property taxes. A tax bill may also include non-ad valorem assessments, which are not calculated in the same manner as property taxes.
The legislature is instructed by the proposal, should it pass, to establish a uniform process by which full elimination of homestead property taxes can be achieved by counties and cities, but it does not provide further details. There is no implementing bill for this proposal yet.
Going forward, the terms “property tax” and “levies” (and variations thereof) should be understood to mean property taxes payable to non-school taxing authorities, such as the Town of Orchid, Indian River County, St. Johns River Water Management District, Mosquito Control District, the Hospital District, the Sebastian Inlet District, etc.