Seminole County plan ties homeowner tax relief to sales taxes

Seminole County would exempt eligible homestead property from county property taxes, with the amount based each year on local sales and use tax proceeds. It would cover a resident's homestead property in the Seminole County special district. Any value above the exempt amount would remain taxable. The measure would need a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers and approval by more than half the voters voting on it. The exemption would add to other homestead exemptions and apply only to county taxes on property within the special district. People who received a county homestead exemption for the same property in the prior tax year and remain eligible would not need to apply again. If voters approve the measure, the exemption would apply to tax years from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2039.

A 1 percent local sales and use tax would be imposed in the Seminole County special district. The tax would apply within the special district that covers Seminole County. The tax would be imposed only if the measure receives the required legislative votes and voter approval. The tax would run from January 1, 2028, through December 31, 2037.