Frank Russo Pledges Property Tax Relief and Historic Teacher Pay Raise in First 100 Days

Independent candidate says his time as a substitute teacher reinforced what Florida families and educators have been telling him - affordability has to come first

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent candidate for Florida Governor Frank J. Russo is pledging to make two of Florida's biggest affordability challenges - property taxes and teacher pay - priorities in his first 100 days in office.

Russo, joined on the non-party affiliated ticket by running mate Rachel L.T. Rodriguez, Esq., is also challenging Congressman Byron Donalds and former Congressman David Jolly to debate the issues - or tell Floridians what they would do differently.

For Russo, the issues are connected. Families are struggling to afford their homes across the state, even while teachers educating children in these same communities are struggling to afford to live in the community where they work, a critical part of building trust and collaboration with the families entrusting their children to their local schools.

"People keep telling me the same thing everywhere I go - Florida is getting too expensive," Russo said. "You can have a good job, work hard, do everything right and still wonder whether you're going to be able to afford your home. That's not the Florida we should accept."

Within his first 100 days in office, Russo has pledged to expand current efforts under Amendment 3 - "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes" - on the ballot in November and begin immediately pursuing a further constitutional amendment raising the homestead exemption on primary residences from $250,000 to $500,000 - a proposal his campaign says could provide property tax relief to as many as 90 percent of Florida homeowners.

Russo said property tax relief should not come at the expense of Florida's public schools or teachers. Amendment 3's expanded exemption does not apply to school district taxes, preserving that source of education funding.

At the same time, Russo has pledged to pursue a roughly 50 percent increase in average teacher pay, with the goal of moving Florida from the bottom of national teacher-pay rankings into the top 25 percent.

For Russo, that commitment became even more personal after he went through the process to qualify as a substitute teacher and spent a day working inside a Florida public school.

"I didn't want to sit in an office and tell teachers what I thought their problems were. I wanted to go into a classroom and see it for myself," Russo said. "That's why I became a substitute teacher. I wanted to listen to the teachers, see what the day actually looks like and understand what we're asking them to do."

Russo said the experience reinforced his belief that Florida cannot expect to recruit and retain great teachers without paying them accordingly.

"You walk into that classroom and you realize very quickly how much we're asking of these teachers," Russo said. "They're educating our kids. They're managing a classroom. They're helping kids who are struggling. And then some of them go home worried about whether they can afford their own rent, insurance or mortgage. That doesn't make sense to me."

Russo said his approach to both issues reflects the philosophy behind his campaign's focus on caring capitalism and humanity over the dollar.

"I'm a businessman. I understand budgets. I understand that you have to know where the money is coming from before you promise to spend it," Russo said. "But a budget also tells you what your priorities are. Keeping people in their homes and paying the people who educate our children what their critical work is worth are priorities for me."

Rodriguez said the ticket's affordability agenda is centered on helping Floridians build and thrive in the state.

"Florida families deserve to buy their own property and build a life for themselves and their children, and Florida's teachers deserve a salary that reflects the importance of the work they do in our communities," Rodriguez said. "These are not separate issues. They're both about whether the people who make Florida work can still afford to call Florida home."

Russo said he wants Donalds and Jolly to have the same conversation publicly.

"Let's have the debate," Russo said. "Tell the people of Florida what you're going to do about their property taxes. Tell them what you're going to do about teacher pay. If you have a better idea, let's hear it. And if you agree with us, then match these commitments in your first 100 days."

Russo said that kind of issue-focused discussion is what voters deserve heading into November.

"I'm not interested in another debate where everybody spends an hour arguing about political parties," Russo said. "I want to talk about whether you can afford your home, whether we can keep dedicated teachers in our schools and what we're actually going to do about it. Those are the conversations I think Floridians are looking for."

Russo • Rodriguez 2026
The People's Choice. The Caring Capitalists. Humanity Over the Dollar.

About Frank J. Russo:
Frank J. Russo is a lifelong Floridian, entrepreneur, insurance executive, real estate developer, and humanitarian with more than 40 years of business leadership, including over 30 years in the insurance industry. Based in New Smyrna Beach, Russo is running for Governor to restore affordability, strengthen Florida's economy, and build a government focused on practical solutions that put Floridians first. For more information, or to volunteer or donate, visit Russo2026.com.

Media Contact
Mary Elkordy
[email protected]

SOURCE Frank J. Russo for Governor