Miami-Dade’s largest medical care provider — Jackson Health System — has tens of millions of dollars at stake in the debate in Tallahassee over the possible elimination of property taxes.
“ A full elimination (of property taxes) would be a $100 million overnight loss of revenue to Jackson,” said David Zambrano, the in-coming CEO of Jackson.
The publicly-supported health system runs the Ryder Trauma Center, seven hospitals, two nursing homes, a transplant center and urgent care centers. The majority of its patients use Medicare or Medicaid to pay for care.
“We've taken quite a few costs out of our annual budget,” he told WLRN at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit this week. “Where could we continue to make efficiencies? Where can we cross subsidize?”
Zambrano didn’t identify any specific spending that would be targeted if its revenue from property taxes was at risk.
“It would be difficult to overcome that overnight,” he said.
Jackson’s annual revenue is over $3 billion. Next month, it will open one of the largest emergency rooms in the country.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has led the charge by Florida Republicans to consider proposed constitutional amendments aiming to reduce or eliminate most property taxes for primary homes and condos.
Any constitutional amendment on property taxes that appears on the November ballot needs to garner 60% support for it to be adopted.
The Florida House approved one proposal that would erase non-school property taxes on homesteaded properties, beginning in 2027. There is no proposal yet in the Senate.
The regular legislative session ends Mar. 13. A special session likely would be called for lawmakers to tackle the issue.
The House effort exempts property taxes for schools. It also prohibits local governments from cutting police and fire budgets below this year’s spending. Public safety often is the largest share of non-school property taxes.
