Blaise Ingoglia Files Amendment to Freeze Property Taxes Against Homes Affected by Natural Disasters

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) filed a proposed amendment on Tuesday that would authorize the legislature to freeze in place property taxes to homes affected by natural disasters.

The bill, SJR 1190, is designed to ease the burden on Floridians by lowering homeowners insurance premiums. It bill is implemented from SB 1192, which Blaise Ingoglia also filed on Tuesday.

"Today, I filed a proposed constitutional amendment to help lower homeowners insurance premiums across the state," Ingoglia said. "Most homes damaged in storms are older homes, built at sea level at old wind code standards."If you raise and harden your home it gets reassessed with much higher property taxes."

"My proposal: Let’s incentivize resiliency by freezing current property taxes for 20 years for those who elevate and harden their homes. Government shouldn’t be the beneficiary of home hardening. Homeowners and premium payers should," Ingolia added.

Specifically, SJR 1190 would limit property tax collection on a homestead property which includes mitigation of potential flood damage from natural disasters in the
determination of the property’s assessed value.

The bill added it would also limit the transfer of such value to a new homestead property.

SB 1192 would prohibit the assessed value of an elevated homestead property from exceeding a specified amount for 20 years when its square footage does not exceed 130 percent elevation.

Under this rule, Ingoglia mentioned Floridians get reassessed with higher property taxes. He added that most damaged homes built around sea level are older and comply to old wind code standards.

If approved by 60% of state voters, SJR 1190 would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The bill would also approve SB 1192 on the effective date of the amendment to the State Constitution.