Hunschofsky Sounds Alarm on Property Tax Plan’s Impact on City Budgets During Town Hall

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Rep Christine Hunschofsky and her college and high school interns. They attended the town hall she hosted at Coconut Creek City Hall. {David Volz}

If voters approve the property tax amendment in November and the Homestead Exemption reaches $250,000 in two years, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, and Margate will receive less ad valorem revenue than their public safety budget.

Representative Christine Hunschofsky made that point during the town hall meeting she hosted at Coconut Creek City Hall on June 16.

She told residents that homesteaded property owners will still have to pay school taxes, which are not included in the exemption. Cities will also have to evaluate the impact during their budgeting process. Local governments may have to raise fees for recreational and other programs. The bill sponsor stated on the House floor that some cities may have to merge with other cities.

Hunschofsky showed how property taxes are broken down by presenting her own tax bill and highlighting the different line items, including city, county, schools, hospital districts, Children’s Services Council, ad valorem and non-ad valorem line items which are on the tax bill.

She acknowledged that many struggling homeowners may welcome a property tax break, but acknowledged business property owners have voiced concerns about a tax shift to non-homesteaded properties. She also said police and fire unions may begin sharing concerns publicly about the amendment. At the end, Hunschofsky said she understood differing views on the amendment and asked everyone to pay attention to their cities’ budgeting processes this year to understand how the amendment will impact their communities.

Commissioner Jackie Railey, who attended the meeting, was concerned about a significant hit to city finances if the amendment is approved. She said the commission will have to take a hard look at the budget.

“We are in good shape, and we are careful with how we spend our money. We may have to make some cuts if the amendment passes,” she said.

If it is not vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Hunschofsky shared some of the funding she brought to her district This includes $595,000 for the JAFCO Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center, $500,000 for Every Mother’s Advocate Child Abuse Prevention, $506,300 for the BSO Rapid Response Program, $300,000 for the Broward Homeless Safe Parking Program, and $200,000 for A Vision of Redemption Family Reconnection Program.

Also, she brought $550,000 for the Coconut Creek Northeast Utilities Expansion; $593,000 for the Coconut Creek Public Courtyard Renovations; $500,000 for the Parkland Special Needs Accommodations at Pine Trails Park; $350,000 for the Margate Stormwater Infrastructure Assessment and Rehabilitation; and $85,000 for the Coral Springs SCADA Radio Telemetry System.

Hunschofsky also showed two bills she got signed into law. HB 753 exempts school counselors from taking the education certification exam, which is unrelated to the field. It requires that counselors be evaluated based on indicators of the Florida School Counseling Standards.

HB 1069 expands youth sports background checks by allowing independent sanctioning authorities such as Little League to access the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse for criminal history screening of current and prospective coaches. It requires Level 2 background screening for coaches, according to Hunschofsky.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.