Florida Homeowners Approve $200 Million Property Tax Cut, Defeating Critics and Two Rival Measures

Florida voters approved a major property tax reduction on Tuesday, clearing the bar to increase the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000. Amendment 3 secured 62% of the statewide vote, exceeding the 60% threshold required for passage. Two other ballot measures failed to gain enough support to become law.

The approved amendment phases in the increase over two years. The exemption will rise to $150,000 in 2027 and reach $250,000 in 2028. This change was crafted by the office of Governor Ron DeSantis and passed by the Florida Legislature during a special session in June. The final version excluded school districts from the larger exemption, a tweak made by lawmakers who initially considered DeSantis' proposal to raise the cap immediately.

Governor DeSantis campaigned for the measure for more than a year, arguing that surging property valuations had made bills unmanageable for many residents. He posted on social media on Tuesday night, calling the result a "Big win" for homeowners. However, the proposal faced organized opposition from emergency services unions and local government officials. Firefighters, police, and EMTs argued that the tax cut would be too drastic for rural counties to absorb without cutting essential services.

Criticism also came from within the Republican Party. Jeff Brandes, a former state senator, said state leaders must manage the consequences. "Florida passed Amendment 3. The governor and the Legislature own what comes next," Brandes wrote. Senate President Ben Albritton and former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo also opposed the measure. Passidomo told the News Service of Florida last month that the amendment was a "one-size-fits-all" approach that ignored how different communities function.

Amendment 1, which would have raised the cap on the state's budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of general fund revenue, failed with only 40% of the vote. DeSantis, who had clashed with former House Speaker Daniel Perez over the issue, called the amendment "foolish" and said it was "going down in flames." DeSantis split from the Republican Party of Florida on this measure, though both parties backed Amendment 3.

Amendment 2 came closest to the losing side. The measure would have exempted certain farm equipment and agricultural property from taxes, a change that would have saved counties between $30 million and $40 million in tax revenue. It received 58.25% of the vote, falling just short of the 60% needed for approval. The Florida Realtors supported the agricultural tax cut, but it could not muster enough voter support to pass.