{"id":3441,"date":"2026-06-09T20:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=3441"},"modified":"2026-06-09T20:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:35:32","slug":"seminole-commissioners-warn-of-severe-cuts-in-services-if-tax-referendum-approved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=3441","title":{"rendered":"Seminole commissioners warn of severe cuts in services if tax referendum approved"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Seminole County would lose more than $188 million in revenues through 2029 if voters approve a property tax cut on the ballot in November, commissioners said Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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That would likely mean future cuts in public safety, emergency services, maintenance of roads, and funding for parks and leisure programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of things to contemplate and consider,\u201d said Commission Chair Andria Herr at a county budget workshop.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be factions with regard to this potential law that are stating it as the best thing since sliced bread, and those that are stating it as the sky is falling,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd neither of those are probably true \u2026 Somewhere in the middle is the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seminole officials are beginning to prepare the county\u2019s overall $1.2 billion budget, including the $443 million general fund, for the 2026-27 fiscal year which starts Oct. 1. Although the tax cut would not affect the upcoming fiscal plan until October 2027, Seminole officials said it\u2019s important to plan now.<\/p>\n

If approved by 60% of Florida voters, the homestead exemption on an owner\u2019s primary home would go up to the first $150,000 on the property\u2019s assessed value starting January 1. The exemption would then rise to $250,000 in 2028.<\/p>\n

Homeowners would still be levied school taxes, so those revenues would not be impacted.<\/p>\n

The average Seminole homeowner would save about $1,500 in the unincorporated areas.<\/p>\n

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As Seminole commissioners \u2014 all Republicans \u2014 voiced concerns over the loss in revenue, Commissioner Jay Zembower pointed out that recent referendums to increase homestead exemptions have failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would remind everyone that these types of initiatives were on the ballot in 2018 and 2022,\u201d he said, and \u201cwere not approved by the citizens of this state. This is not a novel idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Herr said this one has strong support from state legislators and Gov. Ron DeSantis.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe public relations campaign with this is much different than in the past,\u201d she said. \u201cWe need to be cognizant of that and prepare for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Oscar Anderson of The Southern Group, Seminole\u2019s state lobbying firm, said recent polling shows 70% of residents supporting the referendum. But that support could drop after residents see the potential loss in services.<\/p>\n

Property Appraiser David Johnson said Florida counties could see an increase in demand for houses, which in turn would lead to a hike in rental prices, if the referendum is approved.<\/p>\n

But Commissioner Lee Constantine said the loss in services would affect residents\u2019 \u201cquality of life,\u201d leading to a drop in home values.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re cutting taxes. There is less money. Services will be affected. And property values will, in effect, go down,\u201d he said, and also make it less affordable\u00a0for renters.<\/p>\n

Herr added that residents in Seminole do not want more growth with increased traffic congestion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me that that is the last thing we need,\u201d Herr said regarding more houses. \u201cLet\u2019s just call that like it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson also blasted a state online \u201ccalculator\u201d that allows a Florida homeowner to see how much they would save if the property tax exemptions rise to $250,000, which he said did not take into account that school funding was protected from the tax proposal at the last minute.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt talks about the removal of school taxes,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson said his office has called the governor\u2019s office, but has not received a response and the calculator is still online.<\/p>\n

County officials also said they expect several court challenges to the referendum before it is placed on the ballot \u2014 including its name of \u201cSave Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes,\u201d which they called deceptive.<\/p>\n

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Seminole County commissioners commented for the first time on a referendum Florida voters will face on the Nov. 3 ballot that would drastically reduce the homestead exemptions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSeminole commissioners warn of severe cuts in services if tax referendum approved - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=3441\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seminole commissioners warn of severe cuts in services if tax referendum approved - 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