Florida voters Tuesday night are close to passing a major property tax cut, called Amendment 3, that will slash property tax revenue by billions of dollars a year, despite warnings from sheriffs and firefighters, mayors and some state lawmakers that local budgets for first responders and other vital services would face insurmountable funding losses in Florida counties that depend on those resources to keep local governments afloat.
The measure is on track to clear the 60% threshold needed to pass with 95% of the vote in, setting up a steep budget reckoning for cities and counties across the state in 2027.
The expected loss comes despite broad push back from the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, who warned it would leave local governments with no replacement revenue for police and fire services. Polls throughout the late summer and fall often found public support fell short of the 60% threshold.
Amendment 3 asked Florida voters to increase the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with annual inflation adjustments beginning in 2029. For rental and business properties, which would receive no homestead exemption, the measure would lower the annual cap on increases in assessed value from 10% to 5%.
Taxes for public schools wouldn’t be affected, though Florida Trib reporting found that school districts would face indirect costs to continue services like after-school programs, which are sometimes funded by other agencies whose budgets would get slashed by Amendment 3.
Economists estimate the amendment would cut local property tax revenue by $4.9 billion in its first year, growing to $11.8 billion by 2031. Throughout the campaign, supporters said that money belongs to homeowners squeezed by insurance, grocery and utility costs while local governments budgets have swelled. Critics say the amendment’s supporters — and the lawmakers who put it on the ballot — have neglected to consider the full range of consequences from this across-the-board cut.
The Legislature put the measure on the ballot in a June special session, but in August a Leon County circuit judge ruled that the ballot initiative’s language was biased, misleading, and riddled with factually inaccurate “political rhetoric.” He ordered Attorney General James Uthmeier to rewrite the language, while keeping it on the ballot.
The measure would significantly increase the power of Tallahassee lawmakers to influence local issues.
Sharmila Venkatasubban is The Trib’s senior editor and health reporter and a Report for America corps member. You can reach her at sharmila.venkatasubban@floridatrib.org.
