From considering elimination of property taxes to a "rural renaissance," Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, has multiple priorities he's focusing on during this legislative session.
Albritton spoke with "The Florida Roundup's" Tom Hudson about some of those issues and his opinion on them. Below is a breakdown:
Eliminating property taxes
One key topic of interest in this session has been the concept of eliminating property taxes.
One proposal (SB 852) calls for a study exploring the potential impact of eliminating property taxes on things like education, infrastructure and emergency services. The News Service of Florida reports that, if passed, the study would need to be done by Oct. 1.
RELATED: Florida Senate panel wants study on property tax changes 'to make sure that we get it right'
In general, it will take some time before any voting happens about cutting the taxes. However, Albritton told Hudson that the Legislature is looking at it closely.
"When you talk about getting rid of property taxes, that is a huge swing in the way that the money moves around in the state," he said. "It is calculus. It is not simple math. Those taxes are used locally to do a lot of things, and we just need to make sure that, you know, we approach this with both eyes open."
The Senate president added that he has voted for and supported every tax reduction or tax relief proposal the Legislature has proposed. He acknowledged the need to analyze and be careful about cutting the taxes as it pays for many operations in rural areas.
"My goal is to make Florida more affordable for Floridians," Albritton said. "My goal would be to continue to look for meaningful opportunities to make Florida more affordable in the tax space for our residents."
Government spending
Albritton has also called for a focus on government spending as lawmakers look at negotiating the budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The News Service of Florida has reported how House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Albritton have advised lawmakers about a need to slow spending.
RELATED: Florida lawmakers seeking money for member projects are told belt-tightening is likely
When asked about a potential economic recession, Albritton said Florida has a balanced budget amendment, so it has to respond when revenues change.
Overall, Albritton said he wants to be thoughtful about long-range planning. He mentioned ensuring that every agency, program and pieces of government have a clearly defined strategy and looks at outcomes being produced.
"The overarching goal is to begin to bend the curve, if you will, or adapt a bit of a different approach to budgeting," Albritton said. "The goal is to be sure we're spending the money in the right places, the right ways, getting the right data, the right measures outcomes."
Albritton also said lawmakers are working to build in a number in the budget to give tax relief to Floridians, but they haven't begun to put together a tax package.
The budget needs to be passed by July 1.
Condo crisis
Older condominium buildings across the state need to start saving money for regular repairs. This is part of the laws passed after the deadly 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside.
"What we're seeing today is an end result of a catastrophe that is almost unimaginable –Surfside, and that was a bona fide tragedy," Albritton said.
RELATED: Florida lawmakers say they have a plan to fix the ongoing condo crisis
According to WFSU, lawmakers are looking for ways to ease the financial burdens condo owners face as associations are required to make routine inspections and keep reserve funds for repairs.
"Condo life in Florida is a big deal. It's a big deal. And I have heard that loud and clear, and so have my colleagues," he said.
Albritton added that the goal when these laws were enacted was safety, but he also acknowledged the financial ramifications and is willing to look for ways to help.
"Now, can you build a one-size-fits-all for every type of condo, every type of condo owner, every situation – not in a million years because Florida is so diverse," he said. "But look, we're on task, and we're pushing hard on this."
'Rural renaissance'
A final big priority for Albritton that hits close to home is a bill to help grow rural communities.
The measure (SB 110) is dubbed the "rural renaissance" bill. WFSU reported that Tallahassee Republican Sen. Corey Simon is behind the measure now heading to the Senate floor.
RELATED: Sen. Corey Simon's 'Rural Renaissance' bill is heading to the Senate floor
He's asking the Legislature for nearly $200 million for rural development and creating grant programs to ensure those from smaller counties have access to health care, education and housing, according to WFSU.
Albritton added that there is also support for transportation, but there is no mandate for the counties if this measure passes.
"We are offering a toolbox to rural communities to grow the way they want to grow," he said. "There may be some rural communities that say, 'You know what, we like things the way they are. It's slow. We'd rather not participate.' And you know what? That's fine."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Tom Hudson for "The Florida Roundup."
