TALLAHASSEE — Florida residents voted to enact a large property tax cut Tuesday, but rejected two other measures on the statewide ballot.
Amendment 3, which increases the $50,000 homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027, and then to $250,000 in 2028, received 62% of the vote — two points more than the 60% needed to become law.
Amendment 1, which would have increased the amount of money lawmakers can put into a key reserve fund, failed with only 40 percent of the vote. Amendment 2, which would exempt some farm equipment and property used for agriculture or agritourism from property taxes, got closer to the 60% threshold, but only reached 58%.
Amendment 3 was spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who toured the state for more than a year, talking about the need to slash property tax bills as valuations surged.
“Big win on Amendment 3 for Florida homeowners!” DeSantis posted on X on Tuesday night.
The proposal faced harsh criticism from a wide range of organizations throughout the election season. Groups of firefighters, police and emergency medical technicians joined local government officials to oppose the measure, saying the property tax cut will be too drastic for rural counties to absorb without hitting essential services.
Even though the Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Realtors backed the proposal, several high-ranking GOP members warned residents of the potential fallout if the amendment passed.
Jeff Brandes, a former Republican state senator who has been critical of Amendment 3, said state leaders should be held accountable for their decision to put the measure on the ballot.
“Florida passed Amendment 3. The governor and the Legislature own what comes next. They have the responsibility to manage the fallout,” Brandes wrote on X.
Both Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican and Albritton’s predecessor, also came out against the ballot amendment, cautioning it could slash services that people expect from their local governments.
“My concern is that the amendment is a one-size-fits-all amendment, and every community is different,” Passidomo told the News Service of Florida last month.
[Jackson Peel, communications director for Save Our Services — No on 3, said voter anxiety over the economy, inflation and the high cost-of-living led to Amendment 3's passage.
“Unfortunately, the affordability crisis that shaped this election also helped propel support for Amendment 3. People are struggling and they need relief," he said in a statement. "Now, communities will be forced to respond to the budget challenges this will create."
“It’s critically important that state and local governments do everything they can to make sure that the service cuts or tax increases don’t fall on Florida’s working families and seniors. The tax shift cannot fall on working people.”]
The Amendment 3 proposal, which was crafted by DeSantis’ office, was passed by the Florida Legislature during a special session in June. DeSantis originally recommended immediately raising the current exemption for homestead properties from $50,000 to $250,000, but the Legislature tweaked the plan and carved out school districts from the larger exemption.
The measure went straight to the ballot without needing DeSantis’ signature.
Amendment 1 and Amendment 2
While DeSantis vocally backed Amendment 3, he split from the RPOF on Amendment 1, calling it “foolish.”
The amendment would have increased the cap on the balance of the budget stabilization fund from 10% of the previous year’s general fund revenue to 25%. DeSantis chided former House Speaker Daniel Perez, with whom he clashed several times over many issues in the last two years, over the measure.
“Amendment 1 — a testament to our failed former speaker of the House — is deservedly going down in flames. Good riddance,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday night.
Amendment 2, which would have resulted in a $30 to $40 million tax cut across all 67 counties for agriculture interests, fell just short of passage with 58.25% approval.
WLRN News Staff contributed to this story.
