A proposed property tax amendment will be on the ballot in Florida this November, and it’s already sparking debate among community leaders in Southwest Florida. The Above Board Chamber of Florida gathered regional leaders and policy experts to talk through what these changes really mean for the area.
The amendment, labeled “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” or Amendment 3, aims to boost the state’s homestead exemption on non-school property taxes. Right now, homeowners get a $50,000 exemption, but if this measure passes, it jumps to $150,000 in 2027 and then $250,000 by 2028. For many property owners, that could mean thousands of dollars in savings.
But there’s a catch. The speakers raised concerns about what this would do to small counties like DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, and Highlands. These communities, unlike wealthier counties such as Lee and Collier, have much lower property values, which means less money coming in from property taxes. If their primary source of revenue shrinks even more, they could be in trouble.
Jeff Kottkamp, who formerly served as Florida’s lieutenant governor and currently leads Florida TaxWatch, was straightforward. “If this passes, small rural counties are going to come asking the state for help—unless lawmakers set up a dedicated fund to backfill their losses, because right now, they’re barely scraping by.”
Originally, the amendment included a plan to set aside a pool of money for local governments facing big shortfalls, but lawmakers dropped that piece after pushback from Sam Garrison, the next House speaker.
If the amendment goes through, every county and city will feel the impact differently. Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro said his county has been proactive. He explained, “Three years ago, all five county commissioners decided to take a hard look at our budget, just to see if we could free up some extra funds.” That head start may help Collier weather the shift, but smaller counties might not have the same cushion.
