Fears of decimated fire departments dominated Tuesday鈥檚 Florida House committee hearing on proposals to slash property taxes.
Democrats in the House State Affairs Committee joined pro-local groups and a small-town fire chief in raising concern that House Republicans鈥� four proposed resolutions to amend the state Constitution would starve fire departments and emergency management services.
Because each of the resolutions would ban cutting the property taxes that fund schools or law enforcement, that would leave fire and EMS without much of the money they鈥檝e come to rely on, the opponents claimed.
鈥淗ow many firefighters are dispensable? That鈥檚 the question,鈥� said Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Miami Democrat. 鈥淭his bill is premature. There is no data, there is no research, and, quite frankly it鈥檚 insulting to the men and women who serve us everyday who aren鈥檛 law enforcement.鈥�
鈥淭he financial impact [these bills] will have on our fire and EMS services could be devastating,鈥� Williston Fire Chief Lamar Stegall agreed. Thirty percent of his county鈥檚 EMS budget comes from property taxes, he continued, adding, 鈥淚f our fire departments go down, what happens then?鈥�
READ MORE: What could overhauling property taxes mean for local government IOUs in Florida?
The Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities, and officials from Jacksonville Beach, Orange County, and South Pasadena echoed these fears, claiming that slashing property taxes without proposing alternative revenue is a 鈥渇iscal crisis by design.鈥�
A total of to the Florida Constitution and one bill have been filed by House Republicans ahead of the 2026 session. This came 鈥� somewhat ironically 鈥� because Gov. Ron DeSantis last year demanded the Legislature find a way to slash or eliminate property taxes, which have in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.
But DeSantis has spurned the proposals, calling them 鈥渕ilquetoast鈥� and scoffing at the lower chamber鈥檚 willingness to put all the measures on the ballot for voters.
His public uninterest has been part of a broader feud between DeSantis and House Speaker Danny Perez, who declared that the Florida House would become more independent of the governor than it had been as DeSantis geared up for his failed presidential bid in 2023.
鈥楴othing restricts cities from funding fire.鈥橭nly four of the eight measures were taken up Tuesday in the second of three scheduled committee hearings. The other four will likely be scheduled for next week鈥檚 State Affairs hearing.
And despite hours of backlash, the four proposals passed along party lines. The Republicans pushed back on predictions of harm to fire and EMS services, noting that they could attempt to smooth problems if voters approve their proposals, or that fire departments could start pulling from a separate taxing fund through higher fees.
鈥淔irefighters have the ability to 鈥� have a fee there,鈥� said Rep. Monique Miller, a Palm Bay Republican co-sponsoring one of the measures. 鈥淭here are a multitude of ways that you can fund law enforcement and firefighters.鈥�
Some county fire departments pull from a Municipal Services Taxing Unit, she said. This is a special revenue fund fueled by charges for services, permits, fees, and special assessments.
Co-sponsor Rep. Kevin Steele claimed that in his county, , local firefighters rely on such an entity as a partial alternative funding source to property taxes.
鈥淚nstead of there being ad valorem taxes, there鈥檚 an MSTU separated from that, and there鈥檚 an ability for them to do that,鈥� said Steele, who鈥檚 running to serve as the state鈥檚 Chief Financial Officer in 2026. That duty entails serving as the state鈥檚 chief fire marshal.
Roughly 30%, or $56 million, of Pasco fire funding comes from property taxes. About 60% comes from the MSTU.
Although none of the public testimony supported the property tax measures, other Republicans did. This included Rep. Fabian Basabe, representing Miami Beach.
鈥淭hese bills don鈥檛 touch fire millage,鈥� he said, accusing the Democrats of 鈥済aslighting鈥� and using 鈥渟pin鈥� to allegedly turn the measures into something they鈥檙e not. 鈥淣othing restricts cities from funding fire.鈥�
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