Mayor Donna Deegan says Amendment 3 could reduce Jacksonville’s property tax revenue, putting affordable housing, public safety and other city services at risk.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan is warning that if voters pass a constitutional amendment on the November ballot, it could significantly reduce city revenues and put funding for affordable housing, public safety and other local services at risk.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved Mayor Deegan’s budget. Now city leaders are turning their attention to Amendment 3 and the potential impact it could have on future property tax revenue.
The proposed property tax referendum would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes. Supporters say it would provide tax relief for homeowners, but opponents argue it could reduce funding available for essential local government services.
Speaking Wednesday at a celebration honoring recipients of the JWB Welcome Home Fund, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said she is concerned about what the amendment could mean for affordable housing programs and other city-funded services.
“We would not have the money to invest in affordable housing or any of the ways in which we support affordable housing. If that money should go away and, and as I said before, property taxes are how cities fund their budgets. More than 60% of budgets are funded by that. So what we need to do is go back and consider these things. And if this is the way we want to go, we need to provide a different funding source to make sure that cities can continue to provide those services, especially things like affordable housing that people so desperately need,” Deegan said.
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