By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
In Summary:
Stop Unfair Tax Shifts has launched VoteNoOnAmendment3.com to campaign against Florida's proposed property tax amendment ahead of the November 3 election. The committee, chaired by former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge, warns that the measure would force local governments to either cut services or shift taxes and fees onto other property owners and consumers. Legislative analysts estimate the proposal would reduce local government property tax revenue by nearly $5 billion in its first year, with losses growing to more than $10 billion annually within four years.
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Three weeks after the Florida Legislature placed a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would increase the state’s homestead property tax exemption, a political committee has launched a campaign opposing the measure.
Related: Lawsuit challenges ‘unconstitutional’ ballot measure to slash Florida property taxes.
Stop Unfair Tax Shifts is chaired by former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge. The committee has unveiled its website, VoteNoOnAmendment3.com, where it states that there are only two possibilities if Amendment 3 receives the 60% vote required for passage on November 3 — either “crippling cuts to critical services, or a tax shift that will benefit some but hurt others.”
“As a former county commissioner, I know first-hand the bills for public safety, roads and bridges, stormwater protection, and even hurricane response don’t go away,” Desloge said in a press release. “The consequences of Amendment 3 will shift those bills, causing higher rent, more expensive everyday purchases, costlier first homes, and many small businesses that can’t absorb an increase in commercial property taxes.”
If approved, Amendment 3 would increase the state’s homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, reduce the assessed growth cap on non-homesteaded properties, and create a path for full elimination of non-school property taxes on homestead properties.
Estimates released by the Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research revealed that local governments would see a nearly $5 billion reduction in property tax revenue during the 2027-28 fiscal year if the amendment passes. The projected losses would grow to nearly $8.8 billion in the second year, $9.7 billion in the third year, and $10.75 billion in the fourth year.
The measure was pushed over the past year by Gov. Ron DeSantis and ultimately approved in a special session by the GOP-controlled Legislature earlier this month.
Key Points
- A new political committee, Stop Unfair Tax Shifts, has launched a campaign urging voters to reject Amendment 3.
- Opponents argue the amendment would lead to either major cuts in local government services or higher taxes and fees elsewhere.
- Amendment 3 would increase Florida's homestead exemption and create a path toward eliminating non-school property taxes on homesteaded properties.
- State analysts estimate local governments would lose nearly $5 billion in property tax revenue during the first year after implementation, with losses increasing annually.
- The proposal was championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature for the November ballot.
