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Supreme Court cuts property tax amendments |
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Sunday, 07 September 2008 |
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck a multi-billion tax swap plan from the November 4 ballot, following hours of courtroom arguments from justices, many of whom argued that Amendment 5 was unclear concerning its potential effect of funding for the state’s school.
After four hours, the judges put the issue to rest with a 7-0 ruling, removing from the ballot a plan which sought to get rid of most school property taxes and replace that with more sales taxes.
The judges who opposed placing amendment on the November ballot said it would leave the Legislature to create a replacement revenue to bridge the gap of about $11 billion in school funding that eliminating school property taxes would create.
Additionally, the ballot summary failed to specify that the replacement funding is only assured for the first year, 2010-2011, after which the Legislature would have to come up with the rest.
Though the plan may have looked attractive to property owners (including owners of businesses and second homes) who stood to receive 25 percent tax cut, to fill the gap in school funding, legislators would be faced with increasing the state's 6-cent sales tax and perhaps taxing services that are currently exempt.
Judges also blocked a voucher amendment that was slated for the November Ballot.
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