The City Council put an end Thursday to talk of lowering Tampa's property tax rate, calling potential homeowners' savings from the 2 percent decrease "meaningless."

"I think we're talking pennies here," said council member Mary Alvarez, who expressed the strongest views against the tax cut. "I would only save $18 a year. Big deal."

For a homeowner with a homestead exemption on a house valued at $200,000, the yearly savings from rolling back the property tax rate 2 percent would equal $22.89, said city Finance Director Bonnie Wise.

"This isn't meaningless to someone on a fixed income," said council member Shawn Harrison, who proposed exploring the decrease.

Harrison asked council members to revisit the discussion in July, after the county property appraiser releases the new tax roll. But the only council members to agree with him were John Dingfelder and Rose Ferlita.

The city property tax rate hasn't changed in 17 years, though Hillsborough County has rolled back its tax rate every year for more than a decade.