Reforms to Florida’s property tax laws designed to make homeownership more affordable have raised new, problematic issues for citizens and the cities that serve them. For one thing, home sales and new construction are down due to a massive market downturn, causing home values to drop and disrupting the math of property assessment and taxation. For another, to make up for diminished revenue streams in the wake of the Amendment 1 property tax cut, the state government has cut back on services. That’s meant reduced funding to counties and cities, diminishing those groups’ abilities to fund their services. Will the push to cut property taxes provide lasting financial relief to our citizens, or will tax-cut fever leave everyone paying the price in services lost and other costs raised? The May Tower Forum takes a timely look at a topic that hits home for everyone.

Speaker:

Carlton B. Moore, Commissioner, City of Fort Lauderdale, is a long-time advocate for affordable housing in Fort Lauderdale’s northwest quadrant (District III).