Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is continuing to speak out against a recent condominium reform bill passed by the Florida House of Representatives. During a press conference near Miami, DeSantis criticized the bill, saying it favors special interests and developers rather than addressing the real challenges facing condo owners. According to him, the proposed changes could actually make things worse.
Lawmakers are currently trying to find solutions to support condo owners, many of whom are struggling with massive repair assessments. These high costs stem from legislation passed in 2022, following the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, which claimed 98 lives. Some condo owners are now facing fees as high as $100,000 per unit, putting serious financial strain on families and especially seniors living on fixed incomes.
“Florida has a condo crisis that’s impacting many of our residents,” said DeSantis. “We need to make sure people aren’t being forced out of their homes because they can’t afford the new fees. While recent reforms were well-intentioned, they’ve created real hardship.”
The governor also addressed a separate part of the bill that includes a proposed reduction in the state’s sales tax—from 6% to 5.25%. While he said he’s open to providing tax relief, DeSantis made it clear he’d prefer to focus on cutting property taxes for Floridians instead.
“I’m all for giving sales tax relief to our residents, but I don’t think we should be giving that break to tourists from places like Canada,” he said. “We’re in a strong position with 142 million visitors coming to Florida. If they spend money here, it’s okay for them to pay the tax. My priority is to help the people who live here by reducing their property taxes.”
As the debate continues, the governor’s message is clear: real relief for Florida condo owners should come in the form of targeted reforms and meaningful tax cuts that benefit residents—not developers or temporary visitors.
Originally posted: https://www.thecentersquare.com/florida/article_1e9e3c77-d6f5-4737-99f8-61cedbabef04.html
Picture from https://www.tampabay.com/