John Titkanich

Christ Follower, Husband, Dad & Bow Tie Aficionado. @IRCGOV Team, @USArmy Vet, 3/75th RGR RGT, @FloridaAtlantic🦉& @SPAUCF ⚔️ Alum. Following/RT ≠ agrmnt.

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

Governor DeSantis spent months promoting roughly $5 billion in property tax relief.

The screenshot below is from the Revenue Estimating Conference.

It projects roughly $11.9 billion in recurring local revenue reductions.

The state has every tax roll, every parcel, and every local budget.

The state can model every county, every city, every fire district, and every special district in Florida.

Yet five months before a constitutional vote, voters still haven’t seen the county-by-county impacts.

Every prescription drug commercial comes with warning labels.

This amendment comes with a fiscal note.

The warning labels are missing.

At this point, that appears to be on purpose.

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

If this passes in November, what year do we start dissolving counties and cities that need state trust fund money to fund core services?

Asking for a friend who’s trying to get Florida down to 33 counties.

After all, if Tallahassee pays the bills, why keep pretending they’re independent?

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

@ShawnWattles If you want more centralized control of your local governments, this is your chance!

[Luis Viera @CouncilmanViera]

Good comment below on a proposal to essentially get rid of property taxes in Florida, which the Legislature will be voting on.

The Legislature is not voting on a tax cut, as much as it is a tax shift, as former State Senator Jeff Brandes correctly states.

Shifting from property taxes to other fees and taxes, like sales taxes, is an awful idea. Property taxes are highly imperfect, but are the best tax system we have available. Sales taxes are regressive - the more you earn, the less of a percentage you pay in taxes.

I always say: mend it, don’t end it. Let’s talk about a bigger exemption that gives more seniors and working class families relief - while not jeopardizing police, fire, and public education. This is a highway to Mississippi style taxes and social services for Florida.

And we will see cuts in core services - like public schools, police, fire and roads.

If your vision of Florida is one in which lower income and working people pay more in taxes as a percentage of their income, and where we have fewer services in education and public safety, then this Bud’s for you.

Like I’ve said before: please don’t (further) Mississippi my Florida. I hope that people vote no on this - and that our police and fire unions use their voice to educate lawmakers and voters on the adverse impacts of these proposals.

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

“We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

That’s exactly why the House and Senate should gavel in, reject this property tax proposal outright, and gavel out.

This amendment was unveiled just days before a special session, despite raising profound constitutional questions, relying on undefined terms, threatening major fiscal consequences for local governments, and offering no credible long-term replacement for the revenue it would eliminate.

At a minimum, any proposal of this magnitude should include a sunset provision. If we’re going to conduct a once-in-a-generation experiment with Florida’s tax system, voters deserve the opportunity to revisit it after seeing the real-world consequences.

The Legislature should not be pressured into rubber-stamping a once-in-a-generation overhaul of Florida’s tax system on an artificial deadline with so many unanswered questions.

Some ideas are too important to rush, too far-reaching to gamble on, and too consequential to clean up after the fact.

[Dan Daley @DanDaley]

I don’t always agree with @JeffreyBrandes, but I have always found him to be serious, thoughtful, and a free thinker.

I agree with a lot of what he has been saying about property taxes in Florida and wish my colleagues would take a look before choosing how to vote next week…

[London River @LondonRiverSFW]

Me: “Local budget decisions should be made at the local level to avoid handing more power to the state.”

Florida Republicans: “You’re against tax cuts!”

This is why so many people think conservatives are stupid. 🫤

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@FloridaPolicy @JeffreyBrandes Thank you, data is king.

Political rhetoric and punchlines don’t serve the public’s interest, especially considering the magnitude of impact to Florida’s community’s.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

My family and I chose Indian River County years before I got a job here.

Why?

Because we visited the County several times and appreciated the quality of life and the services it offered. We chose to raise our two school aged children here!

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

Tax Facts That Matter:

Overall tax burden, measures total state + local tax burden as a % of personal income.

Hawaii has the highest at 13.30%

Alaska has the lowest at 4.92%

Florida (3rd most populous state) ranks in the lower half in the mid-40s with a ~6.27% tax burden.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

Tax Facts That Matter:

50 - number of states with property taxes

45 - number of states with the statewide sales tax

44 - number of states with a corporate income tax

41 - number of states with personal income tax

38 states have all four taxes.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@JeffreyBrandes @flcounties Voice of reason!

[Jeff Brandes @JeffreyBrandes]

1/ Florida has 67 counties.

How many will still be truly self-governing after this proposal?

If a county needs annual appropriations from Tallahassee to fund police, roads, EMS, and other core services, is it really an independent county anymore?

Let's do a thought experiment.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@Sen_Albritton @FLSenate Mr. President, please exercise deliberate, bold, & principled leadership. Fully vet & debate this proposal. Be certain you understand the impacts to Floridians & their quality of life. Consequences to local communities could be staggering, please do not rubber stamp. Thank you!

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@ChristinaPushaw Provide the same data for property insurance for Floridians?

Florida ranks 1st — it has the highest property insurance costs in the country.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@ByronDonalds Real and meaningful relief for Floridians is property insurance relief…disappointed you don’t see that, sir.

Florida ranks 5th overall in the Tax Foundation’s 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index.

Yet…

Florida has the highest property insurance costs in the country.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

And where do we rank on property insurance?

Florida ranks 1st (highest) in the U.S. for property insurance costs (homeowners insurance premiums).

#FocusOnRealCrisis
Property Insurance
#PropertyTaxesFundEssentialLocalGovernmentServices

@GovRonDeSantis @FLSenate @FLGOPMajority

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

Florida ranks 3rd in population.

28th in property tax,
28th in average combined state & local sales taxes,
17th in corporate income tax, and 1st in personal income tax (Florida has no income tax).

Overall, Florida ranks 5th in tax competitiveness (Tax Foundation)

Insurance??

[Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis]

Today in Tampa, I outlined the Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes plan that will eliminate taxes on homesteads. 

Property tax revenue collected by local governments has nearly doubled in the past seven years (from $32 billion to $60 billion) and is expected to reach an astounding $83 billion by 2032.

Florida homeowners need relief. Now is the time to stand up for taxpayers, enact a historic reform, and save the home of every Floridian.

[Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis]

Today in Tampa, I outlined the Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes plan that will eliminate taxes on homesteads. 

Property tax revenue collected by local governments has nearly doubled in the past seven years (from $32 billion to $60 billion) and is expected to reach an astounding $83 billion by 2032.

Florida homeowners need relief. Now is the time to stand up for taxpayers, enact a historic reform, and save the home of every Floridian.

[John Titkanich @jtitkanich]

@MiamiDolphins Go Fins on #SaluteToService and Veterans Day weekend! US Army and US Air Force reporting for duty!