ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida voters will decide in November whether to approve Amendment 3, a sweeping property tax proposal that could deliver significant savings to homeowners throughout the state.
Opponents, however, caution that the measure could create a serious financial strain for local governments, which rely on property tax revenue to support essential services such as police protection and public libraries.
[RELATED: Is Amendment 3 just a tax cut or a ticking time bomb?]
With debate intensifying ahead of the vote, nonprofit research organization Florida Tax Watch has created a “resource center” to help residents understand how Amendment 3 could affect taxpayers and public budgets.
[RELATED: Everyone’s talking about: Property taxes]
Florida Tax Watch estimates that the proposal could reduce local property tax collections by more than $45 billion over five years, although the impact would vary from one community to another.
HOW MUCH WILL MY LOCAL COUNTY LOSE?
The projected statewide property tax reductions are expected to reach the following levels:
FY2027-28: $4.93 billion
FY2028-29: $8.71 billion
FY2029-30: $9.65 billion
FY 2030-31: $10.71 billion
FY 2031-32: $11.83 billion
Together, those figures amount to an estimated $45.84 billion in reduced property tax revenue by the close of fiscal year 2032. If Amendment 3 is approved, each county is also projected to experience losses by that time.
| Rank | County | 5-Year Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Dade | $5.16B |
| 2 | Broward | $4.86B |
| 3 | Palm Beach | $4.10B |
| 4 | Hillsborough | $3.43B |
| 5 | Orange | $2.82B |
| 6 | Pinellas | $2.31B |
| 7 | Lee | $1.74B |
| 8 | Duval | $1.68B |
| 9 | Pasco | $1.43B |
| 10 | Volusia | $1.41B |
| 11 | Polk | $1.33B |
| 12 | Brevard | $1.09B |
| 13 | St. Lucie | $1.05B |
| 14 | Lake | $930.9M |
| 15 | Osceola | $922.2M |
| 16 | Seminole | $913.7M |
| 17 | Manatee | $825.5M |
| 18 | Sarasota | $807.1M |
| 19 | St. Johns | $803.4M |
| 20 | Collier | $751.7M |
| 21 | Marion | $707.6M |
| 22 | Alachua | $689.4M |
| 23 | Flagler | $456.8M |
| 24 | Martin | $456.3M |
| 25 | Charlotte | $452.6M |
| 26 | Leon | $447.0M |
| 27 | Indian River | $366.9M |
| 28 | Sumter | $347.4M |
| 29 | Escambia | $346.9M |
| 30 | Clay | $342.3M |
| 31 | Hernando | $315.0M |
| 32 | Nassau | $297.2M |
| 33 | Citrus | $289.4M |
| 34 | Santa Rosa | $226.7M |
| 35 | Okaloosa | $204.9M |
| 36 | Bay | $203.7M |
| 37 | Walton | $171.1M |
| 38 | Monroe | $144.7M |
| 39 | Highlands | $114.9M |
| 40 | Putnam | $72.1M |
| 41 | Hendry | $65.5M |
| 42 | Columbia | $60.2M |
| 43 | Levy | $57.1M |
| 44 | Wakulla | $52.2M |
| 45 | Suwannee | $49.4M |
| 46 | Okeechobee | $47.4M |
| 47 | Bradford | $41.5M |
| 48 | Gadsden | $38.8M |
| 49 | DeSoto | $36.0M |
| 50 | Baker | $33.0M |
| 51 | Gilchrist | $28.6M |
| 52 | Gulf | $26.7M |
| 53 | Jackson | $24.1M |
| 54 | Washington | $22.3M |
| 55 | Holmes | $21.6M |
| 56 | Hardee | $19.5M |
| 57 | Glades | $17.1M |
| 58 | Franklin | $16.5M |
| 59 | Madison | $15.4M |
| 60 | Taylor | $15.3M |
| 61 | Jefferson | $15.2M |
| 62 | Dixie | $11.1M |
| 63 | Hamilton | $8.7M |
| 64 | Union | $7.9M |
| 65 | Calhoun | $7.3M |
| 66 | Lafayette | $6.2M |
| 67 | Liberty | $4.5M |
WHAT IS AMENDMENT 3 ABOUT?
Known as HJR 1F, the amendment would establish a new homestead exemption for Florida residents on property taxes that do not support public schools.
Under Florida’s existing homestead exemption system, two separate portions of a property’s assessed value are excluded from taxation:
| Assessed Value | Application of Homestead Exemption (Current) |
|---|---|
| The first $25,000 | Exempt from all property tax |
| –> $50,000 | Fully taxable |
| –> $75,000 | Exempt from non-school taxes |
| Remaining value | Taxable, though other exemptions may apply |
HJR 1F would limit the exemption to non-school property taxes, but it would substantially increase the amount of assessed value eligible for the break:
2027 — First $150,000 of assessed value
CONTINUE READING: Former Fox News Producer Jennifer Eckhart Dies by Suicide at 36
2028 — First $250,000 of assessed value
2029 onward — First $250,000 of assessed value, indexed to inflation
However, this only applies to homeowners who are permanent residents of Florida before the proposed amendment takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027 (if it gets approved, that is). For newcomers, the timeline is a bit different.
HJR 1F instead provides new residents with a five-year homestead exemption that comes out as follows:
| Assessed Value | Application of Homestead Exemption (Current) |
|---|---|
| The first $25,000 | Exempt from school taxes |
| –> $50,000 | Exempt from non-school taxes |
| Remaining value | Taxable |
After this five-year period, the new residents will then be eligible for the higher exemption.
Meanwhile, the amendment also reduces the annual non-homestead property assessment growth cap from 10% to 5%, limiting how much these sorts of properties may be assessed each year.
In addition, the plan limits how local governments may spend property tax revenue:
Public safety, including law enforcement, EMS and fire services
Education and public schools
Infrastructure, including roads, bridges and stormwater controls
Natural resource projects, including flood control measures
Issue local bonds for approved uses or to make debt service payments
Meet obligations and retirement benefits of local government employees
Fund the operations and administration of county officers and commissioners
While the amendment has been approved by lawmakers, it will still need 60% approval from voters in the general election on Nov. 3.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.