Tampa Bay Chamber, mayor oppose Amendment 3
Mayor Castor warns against Amendment 3 cuts services
Tax relief or a hit to local services? Across the bay area city leaders have been speaking out about Amendment 3. Fox 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Speaking alongside the Tampa Bay Chamber Thursday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor encouraged voters to do their research before the November election, describing Amendment 3 as "not well thought out."
"I personally think that it's more of a resume builder for those individual political leaders than it is an effective solution to rising costs in the state of Florida," Castor said.
READ: Florida Amendment 3: How proposed property tax changes could impact Largo
What is Amendment 3?
What we know:
Amendment 3 aims to reduce property taxes for homeowners by elevating the homestead exemption — which decreases a property’s taxable value. The exemption would jump from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 — and then up to $250,000 in 2028.
Under the proposed rules, individuals moving to Florida must wait five years before benefiting from the expanded exemption.
Tampa mayor on Amendment 3
What they're saying:
Castor said the city relies on property taxes to fund its general fund, which pays for first responders, roads, and parks.
"If I just use one example, the funding that we bring in each year from our property tax is not enough to fund our fire and police," Castor explained.
If Amendment 3 passes, the mayor said the city will have to consider reducing services or implementing fees to use them.
"Think about all of the administrative costs that go into figuring out what the fees are going to be to keep the parks open. Who's going to be able to afford those new fees? And then, if they can't afford to send their children to the parks because of increased fees, what are those kids going to be doing out in the community? So there are all types of issues that are associated with this," Castor said. "And I don't want to be over dramatic. I mean, we'll survive. There's no doubt about that. But it's going to change the way that services are provided and the way those services are paid for."
"While Florida's property tax system warrants thoughtful, comprehensive review, and reform, Amendment 3 does not provide a responsible or sufficiently defined path to achieving meaningful change and relief," Tampa Bay Chamber chair Rob Ledford said. "The Tampa Bay Chamber strongly believes this is the right question. It's just the wrong answer."
Dig deeper:
Similar concerns have been expressed in Pinellas County. During a town hall in Largo Wednesday, city officials reported that property taxes generate roughly 60% of the city's general fund, which directly covers police, fire rescue, parks and recreation, and library operations.
If voters pass the proposal this fall, the city projects a necessary budget reduction of $15.7 million. City leaders noted that closing the public library and all parks and recreation centers combined would save slightly over $10 million, leaving millions more left to cut.
Support for Amendment 3
The other side:
Governor Ron DeSantis posted on X on Wednesday that the proposal represents the biggest property tax relief in state history – and that "the entire reason" it is on the ballot is to address high local taxes.
Additionally, the Florida Realtors trade group recently launched a Vote Yes on 3 campaign.
Campaign finance records show the group put $10 million into the political committee last week, according to reporting by the News Service of Florida. The organization said they want to make sure families can afford to keep the homes they worked so hard to purchase.
What's next:
Amendment 3 needs 60% support from voters to pass into law. If approved, the measure would take effect next year.
The Source: Information was gathered from a press conference with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and the Tampa Bay Chamber. Additional details were taken from the News Service of Florida and past FOX 13 reporting. A tweet from Governor Ron DeSantis was also included.