When voters get the facts on Property Tax Amendment 3, support collapses. Early polls revealed 74% of Florida voters in favor — until they learned that it strips local government of essential revenue, jeopardizes services residents depend on, and transfers control to state government. Once informed, favorability drops to just 45%. It’s a tax shift. It’s not a tax cut. The League of Women Voters urges you to consider the consequences and make an informed “no” vote on 3.
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The League is strictly nonpartisan regarding candidates for office, but we firmly take positions on issues impacting our communities. Amendment 3 is one we strongly oppose. The League has long resisted embedding tax provisions in our state constitution whereby they cannot easily adapt to changing economic realities. Further, we support “home rule” — the principle that local self-governance ensures public services remain responsive to local priorities rather than shifted to state government. Amendment 3 violates both best practices.
You may think Amendment 3 gives you a tax break since it decreases property taxes by increasing homestead exemptions — tripling from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and eventually $500,000. Homeowners could see their property taxes decrease by $1,000-$3,000 annually. It also lowers the annual cap increase on non-homesteaded property (rentals and commercial real estate) from 10% to 5%. But these taxes are the primary funding source of your core local services. Statewide non-school property taxes will fall 20-30%. City and county governments will have to slash services and salaries or shift to other revenue streams to fund core services you need and expect. Lost revenue this extreme will surely degrade your quality of life, or you will pay other fees to recoup. In the meantime, what services are you willing to wait for or lose?
Consider the impact on fire and police response times, emergency medical services, disaster response, and flood water management. Parks, libraries, arts, road maintenance will all take a massive hit. Don’t expect enough school resource officers, mosquito control or a new downtown parking garage. Do expect higher utilities. Quite simply, this amendment is a five-alarm fire without enough firefighters.
Furthermore, this amendment creates an inequitable, two-tier system. Renters will suffer as municipalities raise tax rates on commercial and rental properties which landlords will inevitably pass along. The Florida Housing Coalition estimates an average annual increase of $406 for apartments and $1,081 for single-family homes. New homeowners are also penalized, as eligibility requires five years of homeownership. The strain is so severe that Orange County officials warn that small municipalities like
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Eatonville, Windermere, Belle Isle and Edgewood could be forced to dissolve.
This hasty proposal bypassed proper scrutiny. The Florida Legislature placed Amendment 3 on your ballot during a rushed special session without formal fiscal study. (Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a prior $1 million study of property taxes passed by the Legislature.) Proponents argued that local governments are filled with wasteful spending, but this narrative ignores soaring operational realities. For example, the price of a single fire truck has jumped from $300,000 to $1 million alongside mandatory increases in public safety salaries and health insurance. Are you willing to wait for that truck while your home burns? This measure was so ill-conceived that a Circuit Court judge ordered its misleading language to be rewritten. DeSantis has since distanced himself from the proposal.
The League of Women Voters is far from alone in shouting, “Vote No on 3!” We stand alongside an unprecedented coalition of law enforcement, first responders and fiscal watchdogs from both conservative and liberal organizations. Loud opponents include Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, along with Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, Florida Professional Firefighters, Florida Economic Development Council, Florida TaxWatch, Florida PTA, Florida Education Association, right-leaning Tax Foundation and left-leaning Florida Common Cause.
We do need comprehensive, informed tax relief. This is not that. Amendment 3 is a bait-and-switch measure that permanently shifts control from your local municipal commissions to Tallahassee bureaucrats. The facts are clear and compelling. Vote “no” on 3.
Gloria Pickar is the president emerita of the League of Women Voters of Orange County. She resides in Winter Park.
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