Today’s news
BY JACOB OGLES SRQ FRESH SQUEEZED CONTENT EVERY MORNING
Thursday March 11th 2021
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, was passed by a committee Wednesday that could change the way nonprofits rate property taxes. The bill comes through Tallahassee after a violent disagreement between Sarasota County and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
The bill would allow institutions to maintain tax exemptions for charities, religious, scientific, educational or literary organizations, but also to put in place provisions so that taxes could be levied on those uses when a private sector occasionally looks for real estate.
“The bill will allow nonprofits to focus on what they do best and it will clarify applicable law and help preserve and protect nonprofits to prevent loss of a property tax exemption” , he said.
The legislation came after a local disagreement in which Sarasota County’s real estate appraiser Bill Furst attempted to revoke Selby Gardens’ tax-exempt status for a for-profit restaurant on its property managed by Michael’s On East.
The Property Appraisers ‘Association of Florida raised concerns about Gruters’ legislation, saying disputes are best left to the courts for settlement. Regardless of this, the Senate Committee on Community Affairs unanimously presented Senate Bill 1214, which is now being heard by the Senate Finance and Tax Committee. The accompanying bill tabled by Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, awaits its first hearing in the House Committee.
While Gruters said its legislation is non-retroactive and will leave the immediate dispute between institutions to local authorities and courts, it clarifies that Selby Gardens can retain its tax-exempt status in the future while the county can continue to levy taxes only for occasional use.
“Bill Furst does his job, what’s okay and that will be resolved,” said Gruters. “I just want to help all other non-profit organizations in the future.” The legislation, if passed and incorporated into law, would define what Gruters sees as a fair solution that applies to 94,000 nonprofits in the state.