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Florida voters will weigh in on a ballot measure that could ease the property tax burden and mark a major shift in how local government is financed in the Sunshine State.
The Florida Legislature has submitted to voters a proposed constitutional amendment known as Amendment 3, the Real Property Tax Exemptions, Property Assessments and Spending Restrictions Amendment.
The measure appears on Florida voters’ ballots ahead of Election Day on Tuesday and would require 60% support from voters to be approved.
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The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Malcolm Jackson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Supporters of the measure include a number of Republican state lawmakers who argue it would provide needed tax relief to Florida residents, while critics say it would harm local governments’ ability to provide public services funded by property taxes.
What would the measure be used for?
Amendment 3 would increase the nonschool property tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, after which the exemption threshold would undergo adjustments for inflation. It would also reduce the annual cap on assessment increases on non-residential properties from 10% to 5%.
The measure would also create new provisions governing when new Florida residents are eligible for the increased homestead exemption, which they would be eligible for after five years of residency, with the current exemption of up to $50,000 available in the meantime.
Homes in a Florida neighborhood. (Getty Images)
It would also establish constitutional guidelines for how county and municipal governments can use property tax revenues, limiting such spending to public safety, infrastructure, natural resource projects, flood control, local bonds and payment of existing debt, employee retirement benefits, and local government operations.
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If passed, the measure would take effect on January 1, 2027, and people who move to Florida after December 31, 2026 would receive a smaller initial exemption under the law.
What impact would this have on tax revenue?
A Tax Foundation analysis found that if Amendment 3 were approved, it would cost local governments an estimated $4.9 billion in lost property tax revenue in the first year with the $150,000 exemption in place; with that cost rising to $8.7 billion in the second year, once the $250,000 exemption takes effect.
Annual impacts would amount to $11.8 billion starting in fiscal year 2031, although the Tax Foundation cautioned that “the total budgetary impact remains uncertain and could easily exceed current estimates.”
What supporters and critics say
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has advocated for Amendment 3, which is supported by many state Republican and state party leaders. DeSantis pointed out during a roundtable in support of the measure that over the past seven years, “property tax revenues in Florida’s 67 counties have increased by almost 100 percent.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced new legislation aimed at cracking down hard on retail theft so that crime waves seen in liberal states don’t reach the Sunshine State. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Local governments are getting almost twice as much money – far more than inflation and population growth. The state of Florida has cut its budget FOUR YEARS in a row. Surely local governments can do the same,” DeSantis said, adding that the measure provides property tax relief for Floridians and could eliminate them altogether for farm-owning Floridians.
The Florida Democratic Party Executive Committee formally opposes Amendment 3, citing concerns about the impact on local government services. Florida State Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said the measure would “harm our local communities and reduce local services while giving huge tax breaks to billionaires and corporations.”
“This is a scam that would raise other taxes on working families or deprive their communities of essential services like public hospitals, EMTs, firefighters, disaster preparedness, road maintenance, children’s services, libraries and parks,” Fried said, calling the measure “simply bad for Florida.”
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The nonpartisan Tax Foundation criticized the design of Amendment 3, saying it “is not simply a tax cut” and “represents a fundamental restructuring of local government finances.”
A view of Homosassa Beach in Homosassa, Florida. (Getty Images)
The group said that if the measure passed and property tax burdens were eased on homesteads, the cost of funding local government services would remain and “burdens would be shifted to businesses, renters, new home buyers and other property owners through higher taxes, fees and housing costs.”
“Property tax reform should focus on achieving a greater level of affordability, predictability, and local fiscal stability. Amendment 3 fails to achieve this balance,” the Tax Foundation added.
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