Florida
Florida Judge Orders Rewrite of Proposed Homestead Property Tax Amendment Ahead of November Election
The judge singled out the measure’s failure to communicate a major shift – enshrining ‘the Legislature’s right to control ad valorem tax spending.’ The post Judge orders rewrite of ‘biased’ and ‘political’ property tax measure appeared first on The Florida…
Key points
- A circuit judge ruled the ballot title and summary for Florida’s proposed Amendment 3 must be rewritten for neutral language.
- The Florida Attorney General has 10 days to draft new text ahead of the Sept. 19 military ballot mailing deadline.
- If approved by 60% of voters, Amendment 3 would raise the primary residence homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028, excluding school taxes.
NewsWK — A Leon County circuit judge has ordered state officials to rewrite the ballot title and summary for a proposed Florida constitutional amendment aimed at significantly cutting property taxes on primary residences. According to a report first published by The Florida Trib, Circuit Judge David Frank ruled that the language for Amendment 3 was defective and improperly included political rhetoric.
The ballot measure, originally titled “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” was crafted by state lawmakers during a special session. Judge Frank emphasized in his order that while deciding the wisdom of tax relief belongs entirely to the electorate, Florida law mandates that ballot titles and summaries be accurate and impartial.
Tight Timeline for Redrafting Language
Under state statutory procedures, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has 10 days to revise the ballot language. Counsel for the plaintiffs—a coalition that includes former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, former Democratic Congressman Al Lawson, and former municipal leaders—will have the opportunity to review the updated text before final placement on the November ballot.
Local election administrators face a strict timeline to finalize ballot layouts. Supervisors of Elections across Northwest Florida, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, must meet a Sept. 19 deadline to mail ballots to overseas and military voters.
What Amendment 3 Would Do
If passed by 60% of Florida voters in November, Amendment 3 would expand the state’s existing $50,000 homestead exemption for primary residences to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. School district property taxes are excluded from the proposed exemption changes.
For many property owners, the measure would eliminate non-school municipal property taxes on primary homes assessed under the $250,000 threshold. While proponents advocate for meaningful relief from rising property valuations, city and county officials across the state have raised concerns regarding the fiscal impact on local operational budgets, including public safety funding.
Former Sen. Brandes, a vocal opponent of the original ballot phrasing, welcomed the court’s decision. “Today, the court drew a line. The ballot box is not a place for political advertising,” Brandes stated in a social media post cited by The Florida Trib.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Based on reporting by Kate Payne originally published by The Florida Trib. Read the original story.
