Two of Florida’s best-known conservative sheriffs blasted the proposed Amendment 3 Tuesday, calling the property tax rollback a “train wreck,” “draconian,” and an “emergency” as campaigns on both sides of the contentious issue ramp up ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
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Alongside about two dozen sheriffs and representatives from several police and fire unions, Republican Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said voters should reject the increased homestead exemptions and instead urge Florida lawmakers to come up with a better plan to provide property tax relief.
“So vote ‘No on 3’ now, and tell your legislators: ‘Get to work. I want tax relief, and I want my public safety protected. And by the way, I want my stormwater ditches clean, I want my mosquito control, I want my parks, I want my libraries,’” he said, standing in front of a sign reading ‘Amendment 3 is an Emergency.’ “You can have it all with responsible work by your legislators, but not with Amendment 3.”
The proposal, if approved by 60% of voters in November, would create a new $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027 and a $250,000 exemption in 2028, which could mean thousands of dollars in tax savings to homeowners. Property taxes are assessed by local governments across Florida and fund most local services, including police and fire protection, which are usually the largest line item in a local government budget.
The amendment is backed by GOP nominee for governor Rep. Byron Donalds, and has also been supported by other top Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Sen. Rick Scott. But it has been criticized by many local GOP officeholders.
While several groups are leading opposition campaigns, Florida sheriffs and public safety officials appear to be out front in rallying voters against it.
A new ad released by the Florida Sheriffs Association features numerous uniformed sheriffs – including Orange County Sheriff John Mina, a Democrat – and argues that the proposal won’t actually result in savings but will just lead to tax or fee hikes to make up the revenue elsewhere.
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Among their grievances Tuesday, the sheriffs said Florida lawmakers didn’t create protections for law enforcement funding prior to voting to send the proposal to the ballot, as they did for public schools.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, a Republican, called the idea “half of a good plan.” He said the amendment was too reliant on the Legislature figuring out the details at a later date, after enshrining the cuts in Florida’s Constitution.
“It’s an emergency because it strips out the biggest source of public safety funds without a way to replace them,” said Woods, the president of the Florida Sheriffs Association.
The campaign in favor of the amendment is being bankrolled so far by the Florida Realtors trade association, which has poured $10 million into the effort.
“Affordability is on the forefront for every Floridian, and they need meaningful relief,” said Florida Realtors president Chuck Bonfiglio Jr. “We’ve spent years working to help people buy homes. But buying the home is only half the challenge. We also need to make sure families can afford to keep the homes they worked so hard to purchase.”
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