Attorney General Bill McCollum, currently locked in a tight battle with health-care executive Rick Scott for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, called for local taxes and property taxes to be frozen at their current levels for the next two years. The attorney general also called for caps on the growth of local governments.
The announcement, made in Tampa Friday, represented the latest part of McCollums economic plan, which he claims will lead to the creation of 500,000 jobs over the next six years.
With double-digit unemployment rates and falling property values, this is the time when families should count on their state government to reduce tax burdens and provide a more stable climate, said McCollum.
On a fundamental level, I do not believe that government should grow faster than the constituents it serves, he said. Government, like Florida households, must make tough decisions. As Floridas next governor, I will fight to pass this property tax solution that will stabilize Floridas tax burden on residents and businesses, and create a stable environment where our economy will prosper.
McCollum argued his plan could help Floridas continuing economic crisis. While the unemployment rate has dropped for two months in a row, the states unemployment rate of 11.7 percent for May remains above the national average.
Private economic activity, not government programs, rescues economies, said McCollum. Freezing millage will allow Floridians to recover from the recession, and in the long-term, local government spending limits will ensure that government never grows faster than the communities they serve.
The McCollum camp said that their candidates economic plan had the backing of prominent conservatives including two-time presidential candidate Steve Forbes and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
These tax and spending reforms will make Florida more attractive to both business and individual investment, said Florida National Federation of Independent Businesses Executive Director Bill Herrle. The McCollum proposal takes a strong stand for Florida taxpayers both in the immediate and in the long-term.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
