The Florida Democratic Party State Executive Committee voted in opposition to Amendment 3, a proposal to slash property taxes on the Nov. 3. ballot, citing the measure would cut "billions of dollars from the local budgets that fund police, fire rescue, EMTs, and other essential services" for Florida, as announced by the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) this week.
The "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes" amendment was passed by the Florida Legislature during the state's special legislative session in June. Specifically, the proposal would exempt first $150,000 of a homestead property's assessed value from the current $50,000 rate starting in 2027 followed by a $250,000 exemption increase in 2028 on most local levies.
“Florida Democrats are focused on improving the lives of working families and seniors across the state. We need real affordability relief, but Amendment 3 would hurt our local communities and cut local services while giving huge tax breaks to billionaires and corporations," FDP Chairwoman Nikki Fried said.
"This is a scam that would either raise other taxes on working families or rob their communities of essential services like public hospitals, EMTs, fire rescue, disaster preparedness, road maintenance, children services, libraries, and parks. Amendment 3 is bad for our cities and towns, bad for our rural counties, and just plain bad for Florida," Fried added.
Chairman Fried and the FDP's position is also in line with everyday Democrats, with only 35% supporting the measure. In contract, the proposal is backed by 87% of Republicans and 62% of independents.
"By draining the local revenue that pays for these services, Amendment 3 would put Tallahassee Republicans in charge of decisions that belong to Florida’s cities, counties, and the residents who elect their own local leaders, leaving communities to answer for cuts they never chose," the FDP wrote in its release.
Moreover, the FDP argued the amendment would "sharply" enlarge the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes and consequently set the state on a course toward "eliminating those taxes entirely." They also cited a report showing the cuts would cost local governments an estimated $12 billion annually.
"When that revenue disappears, the first cuts land on emergency response, disaster preparedness, and the everyday functions that hold a community together," the FDP added.
Amendment 3 requires 60% approval from voters to pass.
