Campaign Launches to Oppose Florida Property Tax Amendment on November Ballot

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A political committee chaired by former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge has launched a campaign opposing Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3 ballot that would dramatically increase Florida’s homestead property tax exemption and create a pathway to eliminating non-school property taxes on primary residences.

Nocatee, a master-planned community located about 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville in St. Johns County, has roughly 25,000 residents.

The committee, called Stop Unfair Tax Shifts, argues that the amendment would create a massive revenue shortfall for local governments, forcing cuts to public safety, roads, and stormwater protection—or shifting the tax burden onto renters, small businesses, and first-time homebuyers. “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. “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.”

Amendment 3, pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis and approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature during a special session in early June, would increase the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It would also reduce the assessed growth cap on non-homesteaded properties. The measure requires 60 percent voter approval to pass.

Financial projections from the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research estimate local governments would see property tax revenue reductions of approximately $5 billion in the 2027-28 fiscal year, rising to $8.8 billion in the second year, $9.7 billion in the third year, and $10.75 billion in the fourth year. The opposition campaign’s website, VoteNoOnAmendment3.com, frames the choice as one between crippling cuts to critical services or a tax shift that benefits some property owners at the expense of others.

Supporters of the amendment, including Governor DeSantis, have framed it as historic relief for Florida homeowners facing rising property tax bills. The governor’s “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” proposal, which formed the basis for Amendment 3, was accompanied by separate implementing legislation, Senate Bill 4-F, that strengthens safeguards against local property tax increases.

With the November election less than five months away, the campaign over Amendment 3 is expected to become one of the most closely watched and heavily funded ballot measure fights in Florida history, drawing attention from homeowners, local governments, and the real estate industry across the state.

Source: https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/campaign-launches-to-oppose-property-tax-cut-constitutional-amendment/