LIVING IN JACKSONVILLE, FL -JACKONVILLE REAL ESTATE

Every legislative session, Tallahassee passes a stack of new laws, and most Florida homeowners never hear about them until they show up on a tax bill, a zoning notice, or the evening news. On a recent episode of Thursday Night Live, Greg DeTullio and Rachel broke down the new laws most likely to affect Northeast Florida homeowners this year, from property taxes to a fast-track development rule already reshaping St. Johns County. Here's what they covered, cleaned up and fact-checked.

1. Property Taxes Are Getting a Two-Part Overhaul

The law almost everyone in Florida is talking about right now is a two-part package aimed at your property tax bill. The first part is a proposed constitutional amendment that voters will decide on this November. The second part is a law that already took effect, and it changes how local governments are allowed to raise your taxes in the first place.

The ballot measure: "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes"

This is the piece everyone is excited about. If Florida voters approve it in November 2026 with at least 60 percent support, it will raise the homestead exemption on primary residences in two steps:

• Starting January 1, 2027: the homestead exemption increases from $50,000 to $150,000 of your home's assessed value.

• Starting January 1, 2028: it increases again, to $250,000 of assessed value.

• Starting January 1, 2029: the exemption adjusts each year for inflation.

Here's the easiest way to picture it. Say your home is appraised at $500,000. Once the higher exemption is fully phased in, you'd only be paying property taxes on roughly half of that value instead of nearly all of it. That's a significant cut — though it doesn't apply to school district taxes, which typically make up close to 40 percent of a Florida tax bill and stay in place either way.

Non-homestead properties (second homes, rentals, and investment properties) get a related benefit: the cap on how much their assessed value can grow each year drops from 10 percent to 5 percent.

The law already in effect: Senate Bill 4-F

Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 4-F, which is the companion law that makes the ballot measure actually work in practice. It targets something most homeowners never think about: the millage rate, which is the number your county or city multiplies against your home's value to calculate your tax bill.

Here's the plain-English version. In the past, if property values in a county went up, local governments could also raise the millage rate slightly, using growth in Florida's per-capita personal income as justification. SB 4-F removes that extra room to maneuver. Now, local governments are generally limited to the "rolled-back rate" — the millage rate that brings in the same total tax revenue as the year before, even as property values rise. If a city or county wants to raise the rate above that:

• Up to 110 percent of the rolled-back rate requires a two-thirds vote of the governing board.

• Anything higher than that requires an even bigger supermajority, or a public vote.

In other words, local governments can no longer quietly collect more of your money just because your home's value went up. If they want more, they have to vote for it, in public, by a wide margin. See the full CBS News Miami breakdown of both bills for additional detail.

2. Local Governments Now Have to Show Their Work

Alongside SB 4-F, the governor also signed House Bill 1329, the Local Government Financial Transparency and Accountability Act. This one is about accountability more than tax rates directly.

Under HB 1329, counties and cities have to:

• Publish detailed budget and spending information online for taxpayers to see.

• Provide quarterly reports on employee compensation.

• Follow a set annual budget calendar.

The most notable piece: before adopting a final budget, local officials must go through a formal exercise identifying how they could cut proposed spending by 10 percent, without touching essential services like law enforcement, fire protection, or other legally required functions. They aren't required to make the cut — but they have to show, on paper, where it could come from before they can claim taxpayer relief isn't possible.

Whether you love or hate the politics behind it, the practical effect is the same: local budgets are about to get a lot more visible to the average resident.

3. What This Means for Jacksonville and St. Johns County Budgets

It's worth watching how local governments respond, because the numbers so far tell two different stories. Jacksonville's proposed budget for the coming year is roughly $2 billion and includes increases for police and fire, along with big-ticket items like accelerated street resurfacing, Everbank Stadium renovation costs, and septic tank remediation. St. Johns County, on the other hand, has proposed a smaller overall budget than last year, dropping from about $1.8 billion to roughly $1.46 billion, even with the county's continued population growth. Millage rates for both areas are still being finalized, so residents who want the specifics on where the money comes from and where it goes can review the full proposed budgets directly on the City of Jacksonville's budget page or the St. Johns County budget page.

4. New Rules Affecting Florida Schools

This year's session touched schools in several smaller ways worth knowing about, especially if you have kids or are relocating a family:

• Cursive writing instruction: Public schools must now provide cursive writing instruction in grades three through five, and students must show proficiency in cursive by the end of fifth grade.

• Patriotic displays: A new law requires portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be displayed in a visible location in every public school, with the Department of Education selecting and providing the portraits.

• Vacant school land: Districts must report their unused, vacant land to the Department of Education each year. If a district hasn't committed that land to a new school by July 1, 2027, it must be offered to charter schools first.

• Charter school protections: Charter schools operating under a school improvement or corrective action plan can no longer dismiss a student purely for poor academic performance.

• Student athlete heart screenings — the Second Chance Act: Starting with the 2026-27 school year, all first-time high school athletes must complete a one-time EKG (electrocardiogram) heart screening before trying out, practicing, or competing in an FHSAA-sanctioned sport. Districts are required to pursue partnerships to keep the cost under $50 per student, and there are religious and medical exemptions. The law is named for Chance Gainer, a Port St. Joe High School football player who died of sudden cardiac arrest during a game in 2024. See WUSF's coverage for the full background on the law and the family behind it.

One item discussed on the show is worth a correction for accuracy: a bill to tighten oversight of Florida's school choice scholarship program (SB 318) passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year but did not pass the House before the regular session ended, so it did not become law in 2026. Concerns about oversight of that $4 billion program are real and well documented, but as of this writing, no new state law has changed how those scholarship funds are verified or audited. We'll update this if that changes in a future session. Track the bill's status directly on the Florida Senate's official bill page for SB 318.

5. The Agricultural Enclave Law Is Reshaping St. Johns County

If you live anywhere near Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, or the northern half of St. Johns County, this is the law to watch. Senate Bill 686 created a new fast-track process called "agricultural enclave" certification. It lets the owner of a large tract of agricultural land request certification that allows the land to skip the traditional, often multi-year rezoning and comprehensive plan process — as long as the property meets specific criteria, including having a large share of its perimeter already surrounded by development.

SB 686 took effect July 1, 2026. Within days, St. Johns County had received six applications for agricultural enclave certification, totaling roughly 6,500 acres. The largest by far: a 4,462-acre filing from the Davis family (founders of Winn-Dixie) and PARC Group, the developer behind Nocatee, for land just north of Nocatee along the Duval–St. Johns County line. All six applications were expected to come before the St. Johns County Commission around August 18-19, 2026, and several residents have already asked commissioners to consider legal action to slow the process down.

To put that acreage in perspective: the statutory maximum density allowed under agricultural enclave certification is six homes per acre, though the Nocatee-area filing has requested a much lower density of about one home per acre, suggesting larger lots rather than dense subdivisions. Even so, several St. Johns County commissioners and residents have raised concerns about strain on schools, roads, and stormwater systems, and the county has discussed retaining outside legal counsel to explore challenging the law.

The bottom line for buyers and current residents: a wooded lot, pine farm, or open field near your neighborhood should not be assumed to stay undeveloped. If you're buying near undeveloped land in St. Johns County right now, it's worth checking whether that parcel has an agricultural enclave application pending before you close. For a deeper dive on the largest of these filings, see our full write-up: The 4,462-Acre Agricultural Enclave North of Nocatee: 2026 Guide.

Local Favorites Worth the Drive

New development isn't the only story here — this stretch of coastline has its own long list of local institutions that predate all of it. If you're exploring the area near the agricultural enclave land, a few spots are worth the detour. Palm Valley Fish Camp sits right on the Intracoastal in Ponte Vedra Beach, just minutes from the Nocatee-area filing, and has been a neighborhood favorite for fresh seafood and waterfront sunsets since 2009. Heading toward St. Augustine, Cap's on the Water is tucked among the mangroves along the same waterway and is known for its Sunset Oyster Bar. Closer to Nocatee's shops, Al's Pizza has been a Ponte Vedra Beach staple for casual Italian, and Pusser's Bar & Grille is a go-to for regional seafood favorites like conch fritters and firecracker shrimp.

None of these are sponsored mentions — they're simply part of what makes this corner of St. Johns County worth living in, whether the land next door stays a pine farm or becomes a new subdivision.

New Rooftops Mean New Restaurants and Shops 

One thing worth watching alongside all this new land is what follows it: retail and dining. Nocatee's existing Town Center already anchors the area with a large Publix, a Publix GreenWise Market, and a growing restaurant lineup that includes Chophouse at Nocatee (upscale steakhouse with a rooftop bar), Salata, Jersey Mike's, and Starbucks. Just west of there, the newer Marketplace at Nocatee has brought in its own Publix, a SoFresh fast-casual location, and more service businesses, and it's about to get a lot bigger. A 63,225-square-foot outdoor retail and dining district called The Hub at Nocatee, from the same developer behind The Hub at Bexley near Tampa, is planned for that same corridor and expected to open in 2028, with an open-air courtyard, weekend live music, and a mix of new restaurant and retail concepts.

That kind of retail growth doesn't happen in a vacuum — it follows rooftops. As agricultural enclave filings like the 4,462-acre parcel move through the approval process, expect commercial developers to keep eyeing this same stretch of northern St. Johns County for the next Publix-anchored center or restaurant row. If you already live nearby and want a rundown of where to eat right now, see our Best Restaurants in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, and Nocatee guide.

6. A Few More Laws on the Horizon

A handful of other new laws came up on the show and are worth a quick mention, even though their day-to-day impact on homeowners will take longer to show up:

• Vertiports (House Bill 1093): Signed into law in April 2026, this authorizes the Florida Department of Transportation to help fund "vertiports" — landing infrastructure for electric, vertical-takeoff aircraft used for air taxis, medical transport, and eventually deliveries. Florida is aiming for its first commercial air taxi operations by the end of 2026, though that timeline depends on federal aircraft certification, not just state funding.

• Data centers (Senate Bill 484): Aims to keep local governments in control of where large-scale data centers can be built, and to prevent utility costs for data centers from being passed along to residential and small business customers.

• Federal housing law: A federal law limits large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes in bulk and includes incentives for builders who develop in designated opportunity zones, aimed at protecting housing affordability as more people move to Florida.

These are earlier-stage developments than the property tax and agricultural enclave laws above, so treat the specifics as general awareness for now rather than final word — we'll follow up with more detail as they play out locally.

What This Means for You

Big picture: Florida lawmakers spent this session trying to slow down property tax growth, force more transparency out of local budgets, and open the door to a lot more new development in fast-growing areas like St. Johns County. If you own a home here, the property tax changes could meaningfully lower your bill starting in 2027. If you're watching land near Nocatee or northern St. Johns County, the agricultural enclave law means "undeveloped" doesn't mean "safe from development" anymore. And if you're relocating a family, a few new school requirements are worth knowing before you enroll.

None of this is legal, financial, or tax advice — always confirm exact figures, deadlines, and eligibility with the appropriate county office, the Florida Department of Revenue, or a licensed professional before making decisions based on any of it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Watching the Agricultural Enclave Land Near Nocatee, or Wondering What the New Tax Law Means for You?

It's never too early to start that conversation, whether you're buying in 9 days, 90 days, or 180 days. I track these agricultural enclave filings closely, including which parcels are actually moving through St. Johns County's approval process, what the eventual density and lot sizes will look like, and how the property tax changes will affect what you pay starting in 2027. That way you're not piecing together county permitting portals and legislative bill text on your own. And since the builder or seller typically pays my commission, working with independent representation usually does not add to your cost.

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT MOVE

Call/Text: (904) 599-2125

Email: greg@livinginjacksonvillefl.com

Website: https://www.livinginjacksonvillefl.com/

Want more real estate insight like this? Follow and Subscribe to the Living in Jacksonville FL Team on YouTube (@LIVINGINJACKSONVILLEFL) for neighborhood tours, market updates, and buyer tips you won't find anywhere else.

About the Author

Greg DeTullio is the Broker/Owner of the Living in Jacksonville FL Team, specializing in new construction and relocation across Jacksonville, St. Johns County, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and Nocatee. Greg hosts Thursday Night Live, a weekly YouTube show covering real estate, growth, and local news across Northeast Florida.

Questions about how any of these laws might affect your home, your taxes, or a property you're watching? Call or text Greg DeTullio at (904) 599-2125, email greg@livinginjacksonvillefl.com, or visit livinginjacksonvillefl.com.

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