No More Property Taxes: How We End St. Lucie's Tax Burden 💸

Let me cut straight to the chase. If you own a home in Port St. Lucie, you're getting hosed on property taxes. Not just a little bit—we're talking about the highest property tax rate in the entire state of Florida. 🏠💔

Yeah, you read that right. While politicians in Tallahassee brag about Florida being a "low-tax state," families right here in St. Lucie County are writing checks that would make a New Yorker blush.

I've talked to retirees who are being forced to sell homes they've lived in for decades because they can't afford the tax bill. I've met young families working two jobs who can't catch a break. I've seen small business owners get hammered while watching their hard-earned money disappear into a black hole of government spending.

That's not just wrong—it's morally bankrupt. And as your Mayor, I'm going to war to fix it. ⚔️

The Ugly Truth: Just How Bad Is It? 📊

Let me hit you with some numbers that should make your blood boil:

Here's what that means in plain English: If you own a $300,000 home in Port St. Lucie, you're shelling out roughly $3,000 a year in property taxes. That's $250 a month. Every month. Forever. And it goes up every year. 📈

Why Are We Paying So Much? The Perfect Storm 🌪️

You might be wondering: How did we get here? It's not one thing—it's a toxic combination of factors that have been building for years:

1. Lower Average Home Values (The Double-Edged Sword) ⚖️

Here's the cruel irony: Port St. Lucie has some of the most affordable housing in Florida. Sounds great, right? But here's the catch—when home values are lower, tax rates have to be higher to generate the same revenue. So we get punished with higher millage rates just for having affordable housing.

It's like being penalized for being working-class. Your home might be worth less than a comparable house in Miami, but you're paying a higher percentage of its value in taxes. Where's the fairness in that?

2. Rapid Growth Without Smart Planning 🏗️

Port St. Lucie is growing fast—we're one of the fastest-growing cities in America. But growth costs money. New roads, new utilities, new schools, new services. The problem? We've been playing catch-up instead of planning ahead.

Every new development should be paying its fair share through impact fees. But too often, developers get sweetheart deals while existing residents pick up the tab. That's backwards, and it ends on day one of my administration.

3. The Commercial Tax Base Problem 🏢

St. Lucie County has 27 miles of undeveloped coastline. Twenty-seven miles! That's prime real estate that could be generating commercial tax revenue. Instead, we're overly dependent on residential property taxes to fund everything.

When businesses pay their fair share, homeowners pay less. It's simple math. But for years, we've failed to attract the kind of commercial development that would broaden our tax base and ease the burden on families.

4. County vs. City: The Blame Game 🎭

Here's where it gets complicated. Port St. Lucie's city millage rate is actually one of the lowest in Florida—just 4.6607 mills. We're ranked 3rd lowest in the entire state. So why are your tax bills so high?

Because the city rate is only one piece of the puzzle. You've also got:

• St. Lucie County millage: The biggest chunk of your bill
• School district taxes: Essential, but we need to push for state funding
• Special districts: Water management, fire rescue, and more
• Independent authorities: Various boards and districts with taxing power

By the time you add it all up, you're at 21.79 mills. And that's before any special assessments or bonds.

Why This Matters (Beyond Your Wallet) 💔

Look, I know everyone hates taxes. But this isn't just about keeping more money in your pocket—though that's important too. High property taxes create a cascade of problems that hurt our entire community:

The Retirement Crisis 👴👵

Florida is supposed to be a retirement haven. That's why so many seniors move here. But when property taxes keep climbing year after year, retirees on fixed incomes get squeezed out. I've met seniors who've lived in PSL for 30 years, paid off their mortgages, and now face the heartbreaking reality of having to sell because they can't afford the taxes.

These are people who built this community. They worked their whole lives, played by the rules, and now they're being taxed out of their homes. That's not the Florida dream—that's a nightmare. 😢

The Young Family Squeeze 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Young families are the future of Port St. Lucie. But when they're choosing between buying a home here or moving to a neighboring county with lower taxes, guess what happens? We lose our future.

That $3,000 annual tax bill? That's a family vacation. That's braces for the kids. That's money for college savings. When we tax families to the breaking point, we're not just hurting them financially—we're making PSL a place they can't afford to call home.

The Small Business Struggle 🏪

Commercial property gets hit even harder. When a small business owner pays exorbitant property taxes, that's money that can't go to hiring employees, buying inventory, or expanding operations. High taxes don't just hurt homeowners—they strangle the very businesses that create jobs and grow our economy.

The Wealth Inequality Trap 📉

Here's the dirty secret about property taxes: they're regressive. They hit working families and the middle class hardest. Wealthy people can afford high taxes. Corporations can write them off. But the family scraping by? The single parent working two jobs? The young couple trying to buy their first home? They're the ones who suffer.

That's not just bad policy—it's morally wrong. 🚫

My Plan: Eight Actions to Lower Your Taxes 📋

I'm not running for Mayor to make speeches. I'm running to get results. Here's exactly how we're going to attack this problem from every angle:

1. Keep Port St. Lucie's City Rate Among Florida's Lowest 🎯

We're already 3rd lowest in the state at 4.6607 mills. That's something to be proud of, and I'm committed to keeping it that way. As Mayor, I will veto any budget that raises the city millage rate. Period.

But we're not just going to maintain the status quo—we're going to push to go even lower. By finding efficiencies, cutting waste, and growing our tax base, we can reduce the city rate while maintaining essential services.

2. Lead the Fight for County Tax Reform 🥊

The city rate is only 21% of your total tax bill. The county takes the biggest bite. As Mayor, I won't just sit in City Hall complaining—I will lead a coalition of municipalities to demand county tax reform.

We're going to:

• Push the County Commission to reduce their millage rate
• Demand transparency in county spending
• Challenge wasteful county programs that duplicate city services
• Organize residents to make their voices heard at county meetings

The county works for you, not the other way around. It's time they remembered that.

3. Maximize Homestead Exemptions—No One Left Behind 🏡

Florida offers a $50,000 homestead exemption for primary residences. Additional exemptions exist for seniors, veterans, disabled residents, and widows. But here's the problem: too many eligible residents don't know about them or don't apply.

We're launching an aggressive outreach campaign:

• Mail every homeowner information about available exemptions
• Create a dedicated hotline to help residents apply
• Partner with community organizations to reach vulnerable populations
• Simplify the application process with online tools
• Challenge the Property Appraiser when assessments seem unfair

If you're eligible for an exemption and not getting it, that's money out of your pocket. We're going to fix that.

4. Grow the Tax Base—Smart Economic Development 📈

The best way to lower tax rates without cutting services is to grow the tax base. More businesses paying taxes means lower rates for everyone. But we need to be smart about it.

We're going to target high-value employers who bring good jobs and significant tax revenue. We're going to develop that 27 miles of coastline responsibly to attract tourism and commercial investment. We're going to make PSL a magnet for businesses that want to relocate to a pro-growth, lower-tax environment.

This isn't about giving handouts to developers—it's about strategic growth that benefits everyone.

5. Challenge Unfair Property Assessments ⚖️

The Property Appraiser sets your home's value, which directly impacts your tax bill. Sometimes they get it wrong. Sometimes values are inflated. And when that happens, you're overpaying.

We're going to:

• Educate homeowners on their right to challenge assessments
• Provide resources to help residents file appeals
• Monitor assessment practices for unfair patterns
• Push for assessment transparency and consistency

Your home is your biggest investment. You shouldn't be taxed unfairly on it.

6. Aggressive Grant Pursuit—Bring Outside Money to PSL 💰

Every dollar we get from state and federal grants is a dollar we don't have to raise from local taxes. Florida and the federal government offer billions in competitive grants for infrastructure, public safety, and economic development.

Are we aggressively pursuing every single one we qualify for? Not even close.

I'll hire dedicated grant writers whose sole job is to bring outside money into PSL. Their salaries will pay for themselves many times over. We'll pursue infrastructure grants, public safety grants, economic development grants—if there's money available, we're going after it.

7. Consolidate Services—Eliminate Duplication 🔄

Here's a dirty little secret: Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, and various special districts often provide overlapping services. We're all paying for duplicate administrative costs, separate bureaucracies, and redundant programs.

As Mayor, I'll push for:

• Shared services agreements with the county
• Consolidated purchasing to get better rates
• Elimination of redundant positions across jurisdictions
• Regional cooperation instead of turf wars

If we can deliver the same service for less money by working together, why wouldn't we?

8. Transparency and Accountability—Sunlight on Spending ☀️

You have a right to know exactly how your tax dollars are being spent. As Mayor, I'll create a public online dashboard showing every city expenditure in real-time. Every contract. Every salary. Every purchase.

When spending is visible, waste becomes harder to hide. When taxpayers can see where their money goes, they can hold elected officials accountable. And when government knows it's being watched, it tends to spend more carefully.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. We're going to shine a lot of light on City Hall. 🔦

Real Impact: What This Means for Your Family 🎁

Let me paint you a picture of what success looks like:

The Retiree: Mrs. Johnson has lived in her PSL home for 25 years. Her pension is fixed, but her tax bill keeps climbing. Under my plan, she qualifies for additional homestead exemptions, sees her assessment challenged successfully, and watches the total millage rate drop over my term. She gets to stay in the home she loves. 🏠

The Young Family: The Martinez family is buying their first home. Instead of being shocked by a $3,500 tax bill, they find that our economic development efforts have grown the tax base enough to lower rates. They save $400 a year—money that goes toward their daughter's college fund. 👨‍👩‍👧

The Small Business Owner: Mike runs a restaurant on US-1. High commercial taxes have been killing him. But our grant-funded infrastructure improvements bring more customers to his area, and our tax base growth allows for a commercial rate reduction. He can finally hire that extra server he's needed. 🍽️

This isn't fantasy. These are real outcomes we can achieve with focused leadership, smart policy, and relentless advocacy for taxpayers.

The Bottom Line: Your Home, Your Money, Your Future 🇺🇸

I'm going to be straight with you: I can't wave a magic wand and eliminate property taxes overnight. Anyone who promises that is lying to you. The reality is that it takes time, hard work, and coordination between city, county, and state government.

But here's what I can promise you:

• I will never vote to raise city property taxes. Ever.
• I will fight for county tax reform every single day I'm in office.
• I will grow our tax base so we can lower rates without cutting services.
• I will maximize every exemption so eligible residents pay less.
• I will bring transparency to every dollar spent.

Your home is more than just a building—it's your sanctuary, your biggest investment, and the foundation of your family's future. When government taxes you out of that home, it's not just taking your money—it's taking your security, your stability, and your piece of the American dream.

That ends with me. 💪

I'm not a career politician looking to climb the ladder. I'm a public servant, a businessman, and a dad who thinks that government should work for the people who pay for it—not the other way around.

When I'm Mayor, I won't just talk about lower taxes—we'll deliver them. We'll fight the county. We'll challenge unfair assessments. We'll grow our economy. We'll squeeze every inefficiency out of government.

And at the end of my term, you'll have more money in your pocket, more confidence in your government, and more reason to believe that Port St. Lucie is a place where working families can thrive.

That's not just a campaign promise. That's a commitment. 🤝

Got a story about how property taxes have affected your family? I want to hear it. Email me at stevengiordanoformayor@aol.com or call (772) 812-3930. Let's fix this together.