Florida rewrites Amendment 3 ballot language ahead of November vote

Florida voters will see revised language for a proposed constitutional amendment that could reduce property taxes when they head to the polls in November, following a court ruling that found the measure's original title and summary misleading.

The amendment, now titled "Increased homestead exemption; lower cap on increases in non-homestead property assessments," will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

A Leon County judge recently ordered the state's original ballot title and summary to be rewritten, ruling that the language was not sufficiently neutral and included political rhetoric.

The proposal was previously titled "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes," which the judge criticized as a political slogan rather than an impartial description of the measure.

The revised language provides a more technical description of the proposed changes.

Amendment 3 would increase Florida's homestead property tax exemption for non-school property taxes from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

The portion of property taxes dedicated to funding K-12 public schools would not be affected by the increased exemption.

The measure would also reduce the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

If approved, the changes could reduce property tax bills for eligible homeowners while limiting annual assessment increases for certain other property owners.

The amendment must receive at least 60% of the vote to become part of Florida's Constitution.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the state was required to revise the ballot title and summary but could not rewrite the amendment itself.

"Under Florida law, we don't have the ability to rewrite the full amendment, just the ballot summary and title consistent with the court's ruling," Uthmeier said.

Uthmeier also criticized the process used to develop the proposal, saying law enforcement agencies should have been consulted because of concerns that reduced property tax revenue could affect funding for public safety.

"The amendment could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency and the meaningful involvement of key stakeholders, including our law enforcement agencies," he said. "No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process."

Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia said her office would remain neutral on the amendment while ensuring voters have access to election information.

"I want to ensure voters are aware of the Florida Attorney General's rewrite of the ballot summary of Amendment 3," Garcia said in an Aug. 14 statement.

"As Supervisor of Elections, I do not advocate for or against constitutional amendments or candidates. Our responsibility is to ensure that Miami-Dade voters have the information they need to participate in a secure, transparent and impartial election process," she said.

Garcia said the Nov. 3 general election will give Florida voters the opportunity to decide on Amendment 3 and that her office will continue providing election information while upholding principles of fairness, transparency and public trust.

The revised ballot language is expected to replace the original version when Florida voters consider the property tax proposal in November.