Amendment 3 only shifts tax burden
I have been in the field of property tax for over 40 years, with 37 of them representing taxpayers. The Florida property tax system has many flaws, all created by the Legislature, and Amendment 3 is probably the worst since the Save Our Homes amendment that was put on the ballot and passed back in 1992.
When you give a tax break to one group of taxpayers, the burden shifts over to the rest. There are other ways to give tax relief to homeowners even though Florida enjoys one of the lowest homesteaded property taxes in the nation. Amendment 3 is not the answer as it does nothing to stop tax rate increases, non-ad valorem assessment increases or new or increased fees. All Amendment 3 will do is shift the tax burden to other taxpayers and restrict local government’s ability to fund critical needs.
Taxpayers have a much better opportunity to impact budget matters at the local level rather than the State, but rarely get involved. I am voting “no” on Amendment 3 as I want my local elected officials to have control of my tax dollars as they are in a much better position to know the needs of my locality. I will pick my local government over Tallahassee every time.
— John Heatley, Orlando (Read more Orlando Sentinel)