property taxes

Gov. Ron DeSantis spent nearly half of his press conference Wednesday making the case once again for Amendment 3, the proposal on the statewide ballot that would cut property taxes for Florida homeowners. With six days to go before Election Day, polls indicate the proposal might be in danger of failing.

Less than five months after Florida Senate President Ben Albritton hailed his chamber for voting to put a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking a major expansion of the homestead property tax exemption for non-school taxes, he now says he opposes the proposal.

As Florida voters weigh a proposed property tax cut on the November ballot, realtors, sheriffs and local officials are clashing over whether Amendment 3 will strip funding from local police, fire and emergency services.

Common Cause Florida, an influential government watchdog group, announced Wednesday it is joining local governments and others who oppose Amendment 3, the property tax relief proposal on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot.

Amendment 3 would increase the homestead tax exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

The campaign to fund the measure raised $18 million through Sept. 25. All of that financial support came from the Florida Association of Realtors.

The Florida Policy Institute launched a new website Tuesday morning. It allows the user to search by zip code, county or service to see how Amendment 3 could impact two-year funding for all public services, including special districts.

Miami-Dade libraries could lose $20 million under Amendment 3, the property tax referendum facing Florida voters this November — around 16% of its budget. The measure could cause branch closures, fewer hours, employee layoffs and program cuts.

Amendment 3, if voters say "yes", would increase the homestead property tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027, and it would rise to $250,000 in 2028. The 10 percent cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties would be lowered to 5 percent.

Seven weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Florida organizations are taking stands on Amendment 3, which, if approved by 60 % of the voters, would substantially reduce homestead property taxes while simultaneously reducing revenues for local government services.

The Sierra Club has become the latest organization to announce opposition to Amendment 3 on the November ballot, saying that if passed it “will effectively gut the buckets of local governments in Florida.”

Florida's Republican candidate for governor spoke at a campaign event at TECO's new operations center in north Tampa.