Small town leaders in Polk County push back against proposed Amendment 3

FORT MEADE, Fla. - Small-town leaders in Polk County are pushing back against a proposed state amendment that would dramatically raise Florida's homestead exemption, warning the change could cripple municipal budgets.

Tax exemption proposal details

What we know:

Florida's proposed Amendment 3 would increase the state's homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $250,000. Supporters argue the change provides crucial relief to homeowners struggling with persistent high living costs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed the measure, emphasizing its financial benefits for residents. 

"What they did is good for taxpayers. I’m going to vote for it. I think it’s positive in terms of getting affordability and relief from persistent high prices across the economy," DeSantis said.

Polk County leaders express concern

The backstory:

Leaders in smaller communities fear the massive loss in revenue will devastate local operations. Fort Meade Mayor Jaret Landon Williams warned that small towns relying on property taxes cannot easily absorb the cuts.

"Many small communities are on a fixed income. The ability to fund these services relies heavily on property taxes. If we're not receiving income from property taxes for essential services like police and fire, we will not be able to fund them. That burden will be passed on to our residents, and our residents cannot afford to pay more in taxes," Williams said.

Impact on local town budgets

By the numbers:

Fort Meade serves a community of about 5,300 residents. Meanwhile, the town of Dundee, home to roughly 4,700 people, projects a loss of $960,000 during the first year and $2.4 million in the second year if the amendment passes.

Slow economic conditions mean new development is not building the thousands of homes needed to offset these revenue losses. Dundee Mayor Joe Garrison noted that growing demand will compound the financial crunch. 

"It's going to be worse because we have a bigger area to cover, we're going to have more people to protect, and we'll have less revenue to do that," Garrison said.

Potential offsets and service cuts

Why you should care:

To bridge the funding gap, Dundee officials may need to implement a fire assessment fee or raise water rates. Public services like the local library are also on the chopping block to balance the town's finances.

Both mayors maintain their towns will survive and promise to handle taxpayer money carefully if voters approve the measure.

Future community meetings scheduled

What we don't know:

It remains unclear exactly which budget cuts or fee increases each municipality will formally approve if voters pass Amendment 3. Dundee's mayor indicated the town expects to hold another town hall meeting to discuss the financial options with residents.

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