Mayors Debate Property Taxes, Hurricane Resilience

0:00Five Bay Area mayors showed up for the State of the Beaches panel to break down two big headaches, hurricanes, and property taxes. The event came together through St. Petersburg College's Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and the Pinellas Beaches Chamber. Governor Ron DeSantis just floated a plan for the November ballot to wipe out property taxes statewide. Those taxes jumped from $32 billion to $56 billion while he was in office, and now folks are debating if that's the move. Mayors pushed back on full elimination, calling for fair reforms instead. One leader backed easing the load for seniors over 65, since many retirees battle those steep bills just to hold onto their homes. Hurricanes stole the spotlight too, with talks on beach neighborhood resiliency, funding gaps, and recovery drags. Over 200 homes got torn down after storms, around 50 are getting lifted higher, and some businesses still sit empty while owners wait on. Insurance or builders. Cities are seizing the moment to beef up defenses like seawalls, even as rebuilding hurdles linger for everyone involved.

1:05That's your update from Tampa Bay News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with The Story.