Lower? YES. Replace with Sales Tax? NO

UPDATE: It appears that Charlie opposes a sales tax increase ... okay, I'm liking that. Now, Charlie --- please, sign an executive order concerning the immediate restoration of felon rights and tell the insurance co's they are through here if they don't fly right and I'll .... well, I'll be satisfied for now.
These people should not have to wait another single second to register to vote. No, they really shouldn't.

Senate Leaders Uneasy On Property Tax Swap

TBO.com Site Search Tribune archive from 1990

TALLAHASSEE - Senate leaders on Tuesday sent their strongest message yet that they consider a proposal to replace local property taxes with an increase in the sales tax unacceptable.
Negotiators for the Senate and House began joint conferences this week to try to compromise on their starkly differing plans for property tax reform. Although they have made progress on minor points, the Senate on Tuesday dug in its heels over the House proposal to ask voters to do away with property taxes and add 2 1/2 cents to the state sales tax.

"It is very fair to say that there is not the consensus necessary to do a sales tax swap within the Florida Senate," said Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, the upper chamber's point man on property taxes. "We have tried every angle to try to get people where they're comfortable. They're not."

With House negotiators insisting their plan is the only way to reduce inequities in the state's property tax structure while lowering bills, there is the potential for a stalemate over what has been the key issue in the legislative session that ends in 10 days.

With the session winding down, various sections of the state budget and bills that diverge greatly between chambers are being hashed out in joint conferences. House and Senate conferees have traded two sets of offers and counteroffers on property tax reform.

Both of the competing proposals contain a provision to roll back local property taxes to earlier years' rates, which lawmakers can do by statute. They both also contain provisions more radically changing the state tax structure, which would require a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment.

On Tuesday, Senate leaders urged their House counterparts to stick to statutory issues - rolling back rates - in the ongoing negotiations. Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, the upper chamber's majority leader, told conferees a sales-tax swap would be "impossible" to pass in a statewide referendum.

When asked about the Senate's more aggressive Tuesday stance, Webster said he realized "Hey, we have to get going. And at least say, 'OK, this has no chance of passing. Let's focus on the rollback.'"

Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, the House conference chairman, disagreed that the sales tax swap would be doomed on the ballot.

"You never know until you ask," he said. "If we don't give [voters] the opportunity, I think we may have missed a golden opportunity to really improve our system of taxation."

By late Tuesday, conferees had toned down the posturing, saying progress was being made.

The two chambers remain far apart on the depth of the cuts to local budgets included in their respective rollback proposals. The House sought to roll back tax revenue to the levels of fiscal 2000-01, trimming about $5.8 billion from local rolls, while the Senate proposed 2005-06, a cut of about $1.1 billion. On Tuesday, the Senate enhanced its rollback proposal, raising the rollback to $1.7 billion in the first year.

Negotiators have also agreed to come up with consistent language relaxing the requirement that property be appraised at highest and best use. That provision would help many mom-and-pop waterfront businesses being taxed at high rates because of surrounding developments.

They also agree on "Taxpayers' Bill of Rights" provisions in the Senate plan that would make the budgeting and tax collection process more transparent and easier for taxpayers to navigate.

But there has been no movement on another key issue - portability of the Save Our Homes benefit that keeps many longtime homeowners' valuations artificially low.

Gov. Charlie Crist acknowledged the tight schedule, but told a group of home builders rallying for lower property taxes that the remaining 10 days "is a lifetime around here."

YOU DID READ THAT PART IN BOLD, RIGHT?????????? are these the same folks that charlie was rallying with the other day that I called 'citizen plants'??? I dunno, I'm asking ....
It was the second Capitol event in two weeks that brought demonstrators from across the state to Tallahassee in the name of lower property taxes.

When asked whether he thought the tax swap issue was dead, Crist responded: "I'm not sure. Believe it or not, I think it's still too early to tell." He called it "an intriguing idea," but added, "We have to do the doable, though."

Reporter Jerome R. Stockfisch can be reached at (850) 222-8382 or jstockfisch@tampatrib.com.