Florida Sign – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Gustavo Frazao
The speaker of the Florida House asked a hypothetical question: Does Florida require 67 counties? Consolidations, according to county officials, would go against both practicality and local pride.
A century ago, Gilchrist County was carved out of Alachua to become the final Florida county.
Since then, Florida has had 67 counties, with just minor boundary changes here and there.
But House Speaker Daniel Perez asked whether some drastic adjustments could be required when talking about possible property tax reforms on WLRN’s The Florida Roundup.
“I would have to assume some of these very, very small counties rely on their property taxes,” he stated at the end of October.
He went on, “I’m going to play devil’s advocate here.” “Are some of these counties going to disappear? Are there too many counties here? Is it possible to mix some of them? I’m not sure. I don’t know. I’m asking those questions, but I’m not answering yes or no.”
Follow-up inquiries were not answered by Perez’s spokeswoman. Senate President Ben Albritton’s spokesman declined to comment on his views on these inquiries.
Neither did representatives for Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been vocally advocating for a reduction in property taxes.
Such drastic modifications to Florida’s map have not been discussed in the Capitol, much less passed into law (unless you’re referring to the state’s congressional map, which is a whole other matter).
However, county politicians were vocal about their opinions regarding the consolidation consideration when WUSF reached out to them.
According to Cragin Mosteller of the Florida Association of Counties, Perez’s inquiries lead to a lot more.
“There are a number of aspects to consider, such as which counties combine. “Why ought they to combine?” she asked. How are services allocated to ensure that everyone receives the same services—such as water, safety, and care—that they require? How about debt?
Terry Burroughs, a commissioner for Okeechobee County, stated that while he appreciated the House speaker’s “outside the box” thinking, his constituents would “revolt against that situation.”
He believes it would go against both the pride of the locals and common sense.
“Your needs in a rural county are much different than a large urban county,” he stated. “And so once you’re shifted over into an urban county, you’re just lost in the mix.”
Ralph Thomas, the commissioner, concurred. He represents the rural region of Wakulla County, which is close to Tallahassee. Similar to Okeechobee County, which is situated on the sizable lake that bears its name in south-central Florida, Wakulla is seen as “financially constrained.”
“If we’re now somehow a financial burden, would Leon County say, ‘Oh, well, we’ll carry Wakulla’s burden?'” questioned he. “Their citizens are not going to like it either.”
The tax ‘proposals’ come next.
A list of recommendations to lower the state’s property tax has been released by the Florida House.
Perez stressed on The Florida Roundup that the purpose of the legislation was to start a discussion about the tax.
Regarding what it might support, the Senate has been more reticent.
Although he hasn’t made a particular plan, DeSantis stated that he doesn’t believe Floridians should be required to pay taxes on the properties they own and occupy.
Voters on the 2026 ballot would eventually need to approve any tax changes.
Since there is so much ambiguity surrounding what would be on the ballot, Mosteller of the Florida Association of Counties stated that it is difficult to adopt a position on the matter.
“We want to make sure that anything that is done is done recognizing the complicated nature of the problem and making sure that we can continue to provide critical services to our citizens,” she stated. “I think the broader concern is the fact that everyone is speaking in sound bites and not in sound policy.”
Perez said that there is no denying that property tax reduction would have a particularly negative effect on smaller counties.
“You do not have a large tax base, so what you have to do is you have to be very nimble when you’re trying to do things for your county and provide the services that your constituents require,” Terry Burroughs, the mayor of Okeechobee,
Ralph Thomas of Wakulla concurred: “Tightening the belt won’t be necessary. Limbs will have to be severed,” he stated.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
