2007 Legislative Session

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the continued honor to serve you in the Florida Senate! For me, as Majority Whip and Chairman of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee, this session proved to be a whirlwind. I am pleased to report that government can go on a diet. Our state budget was $2 billion dollars less than last year’s budget, yet we still funded priorities. When deciding how to spend your hard earned money, government must act more like a family or a business. If I have learned nothing else, I have learned that government does NOT have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem!

While reducing spending by $2 billion, we also continued to spend on priorities like education, roads, and domestic security. We increased education spending by $455 per student without compromising standards. We placed needed dollars in transportation spending—providing money to widen I-95 and fund US-1 road projects—so you can spend less time on the road and more time with your family. Finally, we increased law enforcement spending to ensure that criminals behind bars will not get out early due to court decisions compelled by overcrowded prisons.

More work remains to be done. In June we will provide across-the-board tax relief for strapped property owners. Our plan will not only roll back taxes to earlier levels, but it will also give voters the choice to allow homestead portability, reductions in tangible personal property taxes, and incentives for first-time homebuyers. Our plan is a culmination of a series of town hall meetings where we listened to ideas of taxpayers from across our state. These reforms, coupled with a cap on future increases in local government revenue, will finally give taxpayers predictability and real tax relief.

We also finally moved toward full accountability. We have long had government in the sunshine, but too often we have settled for spending in the shade. Our new plan requires all government spending—state and local—to be listed online for all taxpayers to review how their tax dollars are being spent. This transparency will help us create an effective process to ensure that tax dollars are spent responsibly and without waste.

As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or your advice. Our office number is (321) 752-3131, or e-mail me directly at mike@senatormike.com. I thank you again for the honor to serve in the Florida Senate.

Sincerely,

Mike

Assess Property Based on Current Use, not Imaginary Use, says Sen. Haridopolos

In response to Floridians' continued demands for property tax relief, the Florida Legislature began debating various proposals during the first week of Florida's 2007 legislative session. The first such proposal to come before the Senate would dramatically alter the way in which property is appraised: it would require property appraisers to assess property according to its current, existing use, not according to a hypothetical "highest and best use." It is expected to lower taxes on homestead and non-homestead property alike, benefiting homeowners, renters, and business owners.

Under the current system, the property appraiser may consider eight factors in assessing property. One is the "highest and best" use to which the property could potentially be converted. This allows the property appraiser to assess an apartment complex as though it were a timeshare condominium, on the theory that the property could readily be converted to the more valuable -- but imaginary -- use. The Senate proposal would require the property appraiser to base assessments on reality, not hypothesis.

"We've got to move away from taxing potential," Senator Mike Haridopolos said. "That's like you are going to put a higher income tax on a guy who's at Harvard Law School. That's not fair. He hasn't graduated."

Exact details of the proposed legislation will be released this week.

Read more

Property Tax Meetings Continue - Orlando and Ft. Pierce Next

Tonight Orlando will be the center of the property tax debate. From 6-9 PM tonight, February 22, Mike will hold a town hall meeting at Valencia Community College's West Campus in Room 105 of the HSB Building. If you are unable to make it tonight, there will be another meeting tomorrow, February 23, at Indian River Community College's Knight Center, which is located at the Main Campus in Ft. Pierce. This will also be from 6-9 PM.

The House recently unveiled its plan to provide relief for Florida's property owners. Read more about their plan here

As always, feel free to add your comments on this subject.

Hillsborough Town Hall Meeting a Success

Last week Mike held six town hall meetings throughout the state to discuss property taxes. An overwhelming number of homeowners attended to express their concerns with the current property tax structure. Read more about the Hillsborough event here

Property Tax Town Hall Meeting in Jacksonville

On Thursday Jacksonville will host the second in a series of nine town-hall style meetings to discuss the issue of property taxes. People are not always able to visit Tallahassee to let their opinions be known, so Senator Haridopolos is bringing the Legislature to the people. If you are unable to attend one of the meetings feel free to use this space to submit your comments. You can also visit The Senate Website to submit your comments.

Senator Mike to be on CBS' Flash Point

Look for Senator Mike on CBS' Flash Point. It will air this Sunday at 11 AM on CBS stations throughout Central Florida. Mike will discuss property taxes and the possible actions the legislature will take to solve one of the biggest issues facing Florida's property owners. As always, we invite you to add your comments to the discussion.

Governor Crist Unveils Property Tax Relief Proposal

Governor Crist announced his plans to provide tax relief to Florida's property owners. Read the plan below and submit your comments!


http://www.flgov.com/release/8567