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Earlier this year, I joined a coalition of Democrats and Republicans, mayors and everyday Floridians, in a lawsuit against the state over the misleading and deceptive language regarding Amendment 3 which will be on our ballot this November. We didn’t sue because we disagreed with cutting taxes. We sued because the ballot language voters were about to see was, in the judge’s own words, “the worst example of a biased ballot question” the court had encountered — closer to a campaign flyer than an honest description of what this amendment does.

We won. The court ordered the state to rewrite it. Gone is the misleading slogan “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes.” Gone are the false promises that this measure protects small businesses and “core services.” That was a real victory for transparency, and I was proud to be part of it.

But here’s what I need you to understand: honest words don’t make this a good amendment. They just make it an honestly bad one.

Strip away the marketing, and Amendment 3 is a tax shift and a new burden on middle- and lower-income families. It lowers the tax burden on the wealthy while starving the local budgets that pay for the services our communities depend on. Cities and counties don’t get to conjure money out of thin air. When property tax revenue drops, local governments have exactly two choices: cut services or raise money somewhere else.

“The State’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research has now completed an analysis of the impacts to city and county budgets across the state—in the first year, the hit to local governments will be $5 billion. Five years out, it will be an annual shortfall of $12 billion.

“Faced with a budget shortfall of this magnitude, cities and counties would have to make hard choices, and few services would avoid reductions. Many could be eliminated entirely. As a result, Amendment 3 is opposed by a broad coalition of groups ranging from police, sheriffs, hospitals, libraries, local governments, and even fiscal responsibility watchdogs like the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch.

“At Audubon, we are especially concerned about the grim implications of Amendment 3 for sprawl, water and parks.” – Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director of Audubon Florida

Although lower tax bills might be tempting, voters also need to consider the consequences of a sharp cut in revenue for local police departments, ambulance providers, and the bus and parks systems, Miami-Dade’s mayor said Wednesday as she launched a campaign opposing a state referendum to cut property taxes.

“It threatens everything from public safety and emergency response to our roads, parks, our libraries,” Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat, said during a press conference taking aim at Amendment 3, the tax-cut proposal backed by Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature. “These are not luxuries. These are basic, essential services that protect our lives, our families and our neighborhoods.”

“South Florida is essentially a big swamp and mosquitos aren’t just a nuisance that ruin outdoor activities. They are a public-health concern. Among the viruses they can spread: Zika, dengue, chikungunya.

“For voters, reducing mosquito control may seem like a reasonable trade-off for lower taxes, and if you look at it in isolation, maybe. But consider how Amendment 3 would force local governments to chip away — at varying degrees, depending on each community — at other programs such as parks, libraries and animal shelters.

“Maybe it’s fewer sheriff’s deputies who are hired or fewer fire trucks purchased. Perhaps some parks and libraries close or reduce operating hours or eliminate after-school programs. Social services for the elderly could be hit with cuts. The waiting time to obtain a building permit may increase if county hall layoffs take place. And we cannot forget that 9% of Miami-Dade’s property taxes go toward Jackson Health, the county’s public hospital system, according to a Herald analysis.”

“Many cities and counties would become dependent on the good will of Tallahassee lawmakers — and anyone who thinks legislators don’t play favorites hasn’t been paying attention. In the meantime, a large number of Florida residents and businesses would reap no benefit from this [property tax] amendment at all.”

-Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, August 23, 2026

Mistakes in state law can be fixed next session. Mistakes in the state Constitution are forever. Amendment 3 would lock deep cuts to local services into Florida’s founding document — with no funding plan and no easy way back. #VoteNoOn3

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd doesn’t mince words about the proposed property tax amendment in Florida (aka, Amendment 3). In November, Vote No On Amendment 3.

“The impact of this would hit local governments like a neutron bomb. Over the course of five years, Amendment 3 would chop nearly $46 billion from the budgets of cities and counties across the state. As a result, almost every local government would face hellish decisions — weighing cuts to emergency services like police and fire against libraries, recreational programs and senior centers.” -Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, August 23, 2026

“Florida’s 28 taxpayer-funded hospitals and healthcare taxing districts would be unable to provide some of the medical services they now offer if voters cut property taxes in November, a report issued Thursday says.

“The new report released by Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit that researches state budgets and policies, looks at the big-picture financial impact on public hospitals if Amendment 3 passes in the general election in November and estimates a $323 million loss over the next three years.”

“What homeowner doesn’t like the sound of a property-tax cut? More money in the bank account. A little breathing room.

Here’s the catch: Amendment 3 doesn’t make the cost of local government disappear. It changes who pays for it. The “tax cut” is likely to become a tax shift, the kind of decision we usually regret, like a drunk text or a bad karaoke video. But a constitutional amendment can’t be deleted. This one’s permanent — a face tattoo, not a haircut.”

Tampa Bay Times Columnist Graham Brink, August 28, 2026

“For homeowners, it’s easy to see the appeal. But every ‘too-good-to-be-true’ deal has a catch — and Amendment 3 is no exception. The truth is simple: Amendment 3 shifts billions of dollars away from local governments, and when that revenue disappears, the services we rely on every day will shrink with it.”

-South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial, August 30, 2026

“Florida’s rural communities succeed when they have the tools to invest in their future. Amendment 3 would jeopardize funding for essential public safety services, infrastructure and community investments while shifting more of the tax burden to businesses and other property owners. These changes would make it more difficult for rural communities to compete for jobs, attract new investment and grow their local economies.” -FREDA Chair Richard Williams.

Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association OPPOSES the Florida property tax amendment which will be ‘Amendment 3’ on your November ballot.

Read their full statement

That warning comes from the Florida Sheriffs Association — the people who answer your 911 calls. Longer response times aren’t an abstraction when it’s YOUR emergency. Florida’s sheriffs are significantly concerned about Amendment 3. So should you be. #VoteNoOn3

It’s not just first responders. 1000 Friends of Florida — a statewide conservation group — now opposes Amendment 3, warning it would gut the local revenue that protects Florida’s land, water, and quality of life. The coalition against this amendment keeps growing.

Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith knows how bad Amendment 3 will be for his rural county.

Public safety is the single largest budget item in more than 80% of Florida communities, consuming more than half of every general fund dollar spent.

Deputies, firefighters, paramedics. When billions leave the tax base with no replacement plan, that’s where the cut lands. There’s no version of this math where it doesn’t.

Florida’s fire chiefs just became the first statewide first responder group to formally oppose Amendment 3. These are the people who run fire protection, EMS, and disaster response. When they say the funding future is uncertain, that’s not politics. That’s a warning. Vote No on 3.

“Amendment 3 will significantly reduce locally controlled revenue available to Florida’s cities and counties. Without a clear and sustainable replacement for that revenue, the amendment will place additional pressure on funding for public libraries and other essential local services. For libraries, reduced local resources will mean fewer hours, reduced staffing and programming, fewer materials and technology resources, and will seriously reduce access to services for the communities that depend on them.” – The Florida Library Association

Get the full story on why Amendment 3 in Florida is a big problem: https://votenoonamendment3.com/

Amendment 3 hasn’t even been voted on yet — and Florida cities are being forced to already make cuts to vital services that local citizens demand. #VoteNoOn3

$343 million. That’s the hole Hillsborough County was warned to expect under Amendment 3 — money that funds the sheriff’s office, fire rescue, and emergency management. County leaders are already deciding what to cut. Ask yours what’s on the list.

Vote No On Amendment 3 in #Florida to Stop Unfair Tax Shifts

https://votenoonamendment3.com/

The judge’s order was straightforward: The ballot title for the proposed Florida property tax amendment “misleads voters” and the State must rewrite it.

But even after the rewrite, Amendment 3 will still remove billions in local revenue and name no replacement to help fund public safety, parks, libraries, and other vital public services.

Who pays if Amendment 3 passes? EVERYONE
The devil is in the details. Get the facts: https://votenoonamendment3.com/

How much will Amendment 3 really cost Floridians? The answer will surprise you. Find out: https://votenoonamendment3.com/

Picture Orlando’s entire city budget. Now cut it in half. That’s roughly what Orange County stands to lose every single year under Amendment 3 — police, fire, parks, and roads all competing for what’s left. No replacement plan. Just a hole. Vote No on 3.

When the official who runs a county’s budget calls it “an amputation,” it’s not political spin.
Leon County has already frozen hiring and cut spending — and Amendment 3 isn’t even law yet. It slashes local revenue with no plan to replace it. #VoteNoOn3

The proposed Florida property tax amendment — Amendment 3 — requires a rewrite, so says a Florida Judge. But no matter the rewrite, Amendment 3 will have major consequences for the Sunshine State—most of them “unintended.” Get the Facts!

A Republican county commissioner warns Amendment 3 would force service cuts so deep that Seminole County’s quality of life — and property values — would collapse. Deep cuts don’t protect your home. They devalue it. #VoteNoOn3

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/06/15/florida-economists-project-cities-and-counties-to-lose-12-billion-under-property-tax-plan/

Why is Amendment 3 in Florida a Tax Shift?

Get the Facts: https://votenoonamendment3.com/

Get the Facts about Amendment 3 in Florida: https://votenoonamendment3.com/

Public safety is the single largest budget item in more than 80% of Florida communities, consuming more than half of every general fund dollar spent. Deputies, firefighters, paramedics.

When billions leave the tax base with no replacement plan, that’s where the cut lands. There’s no version of this math where it doesn’t.

#VoteNoOn3

The Miami Herald’s editorial board didn’t call Amendment 3 too liberal or too conservative. They called it a gamble. Cutting billions from local budgets with no plan to backfill isn’t fiscal discipline — it’s rolling the dice with your city’s ability to function and provide vital services like public safety.

Florida built its brand on low taxes. The New York Times says this time Florida flew too far. Amendment 3 strips billions from the budgets that pay for police, fire, and roads — and nothing in it replaces the money. Vote No on 3.

Mosquito control sounds like a punchline until you remember why Florida funds it. These districts are funded by property taxes to keep us safe and disease-free. Amendment 3 cuts that revenue with no backup plan. Some things you don’t notice until they stop.

“Tax relief” with a catch: cities say they’ll be forced to charge new fees for services property taxes already cover — police, fire, parks. You may not save what you think. #VoteNoOn3

With Amendment 3, the Math doesn’t work. There are only two possibilities: CRIPPLING CUTS to critical services OR Tax Shifts that make us all PAY MORE for everything #VoteNoOn3

Pasco County’s tax collector is a lifelong Republican — and he says Amendment 3 would devastate his county. On his list of what’s at risk: the sheriff’s office, fire-rescue, veterans’ and senior services. Even supporters are alarmed. #VoteNoOn3

Oviedo has planned a new police station for a decade. Now the mayor says the city may have to dissolve its police department within a year if Amendment 3 passes. This is the real-world math behind “tax relief.” #VoteNoOn3

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/18/business/property-taxes-homes-florida

When Bloomberg’s editorial board warns about “hidden risks,” it isn’t defending high taxes. It’s pointing out that Amendment 3 in Florida cuts local revenue without saying who fills the gap. The risks aren’t hidden for long — they show up in your (lack of) services and your (increased) fees.

“The problem is that shrinking the tax base in this way will inevitably drive localities to shift the burden to other forms of property…” -WSJ

Three things every Florida voter should know about Amendment 3.