Governor DeSantis Speaks — Property Taxes, AI, and the Future of Florida

By Tim Steeves | Residential Real Estate Consultant | Coldwell Banker Realty

Published May 13, 2026

As your Southwest Florida real estate guide, I have always believed that understanding the leadership and policies shaping our state is just as important as understanding the housing market. Where Florida goes politically and economically, the real estate market follows. That is why I pay close attention — and why I want to share what I am hearing.

In a recent interview, Governor Ron DeSantis spoke candidly about three issues that touch the lives of every Florida homeowner, family, and resident. His comments on property taxes, the balance of state and federal power, and the emerging challenge of artificial intelligence paint a picture of a governor who is thinking seriously about the long-term future of the state we call home.

Here is my full breakdown of what he said — and what it means for you.

1. Eliminating Property Taxes on Your Primary Home

This is the big one — and if you own a home in Florida, you need to understand what is being proposed.

Governor DeSantis is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would eliminate property taxes on primary homesteaded residences — meaning the home you actually live in as a Florida resident. Not investment properties, not vacation homes, not commercial real estate. Your home. The one with the homestead exemption.

How Did We Get Here?

To understand why DeSantis believes this is achievable, you have to look at the numbers. When he became governor in 2019, Florida’s local governments were collectively taking in $32 billion in property tax revenue. Today, they are taking in $60 billion — nearly double in just seven years.

Why the surge? Rising property values have driven up assessments, and local governments have been the direct beneficiaries. DeSantis’s argument is straightforward: the governments didn’t earn that extra money through better services. The market gave it to them.

And it is only going to grow. At current trajectories, local governments are projected to be taking in $84 billion by 2031. That is an increase from $32 billion to $84 billion in roughly 12 to 13 years.

The Counter-Argument He Anticipates

DeSantis knows exactly what critics will say: “You can’t eliminate property taxes — we won’t be able to fund schools and police.” His response is pointed.

Did Florida have schools and police in 2019 when revenues were $32 billion? Of course it did. Now take that $32 billion, add inflation, add population growth, add a couple of percentage points for good measure — and you get to roughly $46 or $47 billion. Not $60 billion. The gap between what’s necessary and what governments are actually collecting represents an enormous opportunity to give Florida homeowners genuine, historic relief.

What Happens Next?

The proposal will go on the November 2026 ballot as a constitutional amendment — it requires a supermajority vote to pass. If approved, it would be phased in over time. DeSantis suggested that Florida could reach a point very quickly where 90% of homeowners are paying nothing in property taxes on their primary residence, with full elimination to follow.

What This Means for Southwest Florida

I want to be direct about what this would mean for our market. Property tax elimination on primary residences would be one of the most powerful incentives for permanent residency Florida has ever created. For the many part-time residents and snowbirds who own homes here but haven’t fully committed to Florida as their primary residence, this could be the tipping point. For first-time buyers and working families weighing the cost of homeownership, the removal of a significant recurring annual expense changes the math considerably.

I will be watching this ballot measure closely. If you have questions about how current property taxes factor into the cost of homeownership in any Southwest Florida community, I am happy to walk you through the numbers.

2. State vs. Federal Power — Why It Matters That You Live in Florida

Governor DeSantis describes himself as a constitutionalist, and he means it in a very specific way. He quoted James Madison directly from Federalist Paper No. 45:

“The powers delegated under the proposed Constitution are few and defined. Those belonging to the states are numerous and indefinite.”

His point is that the Founders designed a system where the federal government handles a narrow set of responsibilities — national defense, foreign policy, interstate commerce — while the states handle virtually everything that actually affects your daily life.

The Evidence He Points To

When Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida in 2022, and when the 2024 storms hit, DeSantis notes that state and local emergency responders were on the front lines — not FEMA. The people who showed up first, stayed the longest, and did the most were Floridians serving Floridians.

The same is true for law enforcement, education, and economic policy. Your local sheriff, your school board, your state legislature — these are the institutions that shape your daily experience far more than anything happening in Washington.

Why People Are Moving to Florida

DeSantis believes this federalist structure is the primary reason Florida has been the focal point of one of the largest population and wealth migrations in modern American history. When states are laboratories of democracy — free to adopt their own policies and compete for residents — people vote with their feet. And for seven consecutive years, they have been voting for Florida.

As a real estate consultant, I see this every week. Clients from New York, Illinois, New Jersey, California, and a dozen other states are making the move to Southwest Florida — not just for the weather, but for the freedom, the lower tax burden, and the quality of life that comes from living in a state that trusts its citizens.

3. Artificial Intelligence — A Warning from the Governor

This may be the section that surprises you most, but I think it is the most forward-looking part of DeSantis’s interview — and it has real implications for every Floridian.

The Founders’ Lens

DeSantis frames the AI challenge through the lens of the Founding Fathers. His argument: the founders understood that human nature is flawed, and that when power is concentrated, it will be abused. They designed the entire constitutional architecture — separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism — specifically to prevent any single entity from gaining unchecked control.

Apply that same logic to artificial intelligence. The companies building and controlling AI systems are, in DeSantis’s words, exercising “more power over our society than any companies have ever exercised in the history of the republic.”

The Core Concern

Here is the specific concern he raises: when you ask a chatbot a question and get an answer, that answer is only as good as the data set it was trained on. Whoever controls those data sets has the ability to shape what we perceive as reality. That is an extraordinary amount of power — and it is currently sitting in the hands of a small number of private companies with no meaningful accountability to the public.

DeSantis is also deeply concerned about children’s safety. He describes troubling cases where AI chatbots have engaged in sexualization of minors and encouraged self-harm. His view: because these systems are built by human beings, they will not only reflect the flaws of human nature — they will magnify them.

What Florida Is Proposing

In the summer of 2025, there was a push at the federal level to prohibit states from regulating AI for a full decade. DeSantis fought it — and he is now proposing a Florida-specific framework built around four principles:

Children are protected — AI cannot be used to harm, exploit, or manipulate minors
Parental rights are respected — parents have the right to know how AI is interacting with their children
Consumers have disclosure — you have the right to know whether you are dealing with an AI or a real person
Legal recourse exists — if AI is used to harm you, you have the ability to seek justice

His broader point: the profit incentive of publicly traded AI companies is not the same as what is best for America. As policymakers, the job is to mediate that gap — to ensure this technology enhances rather than displaces the human experience and reinforces rather than undermines American values.

My Closing Thoughts

I share Governor DeSantis’s vision because it aligns with something I believe deeply — that the decisions made at the state level, by the leaders we elect and the policies we vote for, have a more direct impact on the quality of our daily lives than almost anything else in the political arena.

Property tax relief that could free Florida homeowners from one of their largest recurring expenses. A commitment to state sovereignty that keeps decision-making close to the people it affects. And a thoughtful, protective approach to technology that puts families first.

These are the reasons Southwest Florida is not just a beautiful place to live — it is a wise place to put down roots. And I am honored every day to help families do exactly that.

If you have questions about what any of these developments mean for your real estate decisions — buying, selling, or planning — I would love to have that conversation.

Tim Steeves Residential Real Estate Consultant | Coldwell Banker Realty 📞 (239) 898-5572 ✉️ tim.steeves@cbrealty.com 🌐 TimSteevesHomes.com 📍 550 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102

The views expressed in this post reflect Tim Steeves’s personal perspective as a Southwest Florida community member and real estate professional. They are not intended as legal, financial, or political advice.