Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo is proposing a property-tax relief program for senior homeowners in the city, framing the initiative as a way to help elderly residents remain in their homes as Florida leaders debate eliminating property taxes altogether.
The proposal would lead to a one-time Seniors Homeowner’s Relief stimulus check for qualifying residents during fiscal year 2026. The program would cost the city an estimated $1.2 million, funded through the city’s general fund using surplus money generated by early pension payments made in prior years.
Those savings stem from a strategy implemented under former Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo, whose administration made early contributions to the city’s pension system, reducing long-term interest costs. At the time, those savings were largely used to finance street and infrastructure improvements. Under Calvo’s proposal, the funds would instead be redirected toward direct financial assistance for homeowners…