Florida Banking December 2025/January 2026

whether these will be the Senate vehicles on property tax, or whether other legislation is yet to be filed in the Senate. Regardless, any piece of legislation passed by the House will go to the Senate for debate and its consideration. Ultimately, the two chambers will have to agree on any joint resolutions for the 2026 ballot. Many questions remain: Will the two chambers agree on property tax reform or elimination during the 2026 Regular Session, or will they return for a special session? Will Gov. DeSantis call his own special session if he is unsatisfied with the results of the 2026 Regular Session? Stay tuned.

any increase in the millage rate and allowing newly married couples to combine their accumulated Save Our Homes benefits. The Governor will decide whether it becomes law as it is an ordinary House bill. House Speaker Danny Perez has said this about the joint resolutions and bill: “First, they will have language that specifically prohibits an affected government entity from reducing funding for law enforcement. Second, they exempt school taxes. Property taxes comprise 46% of school funding, or about $21 billion.” As I write this article, Sen. Mack Bernard has filed several property tax bills that appear to be similar to the House legislation. It is unclear

President's Perspective, Continued from page 3 representing the strength of our membership • Use the equity to invest in our industry’s future As bankers, you know strong institutions are built the same way — people first, then infrastructure, then growth. We are following that philosophy as we position the association for the next decade of service. I look forward to sharing updates along the way and, even more importantly, delivering results you can see and feel as members. Together, we are building not just a stronger association, but a stronger future for banking in Florida.

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