By Staff Report
Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday released a redraft of the ballot summary for Amendment 3, the sweeping property tax cut measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A Leon County judge last week ordered the ballot summary and title of the proposal to be rewritten, finding the originals misleading and filled with political rhetoric. The new version replaces the more colorful language with straightforward wording.
For example, the initial title was “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” while the new version is “Increased Homestead Exemption, Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments.”
In a statement, Uthmeier said law enforcement officials, many of whom have criticized the proposal for slashing revenues for public safety, should have been included in discussions to draft the property tax cut plan.
“Under Florida law, we don’t have the ability to rewrite the full amendment, just the ballot summary and title consistent with the court’s ruling,” Uthmeier said. “The amendment could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency and the meaningful involvement of key stakeholders, including our law enforcement agencies. No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process.”
For more than a year, DeSantis has toured the state emphasizing the need for a major cut to property taxes, at times questioning why property taxes should exist at all. He has pointed to the sharp increase in property tax revenues received by local governments over the past six years, from $31 billion in 2019 to $55 billion in 2024.
DeSantis also touted the move as a way to cut costs for homeowners facing inflation. But as the idea developed into a distinct policy during a special session in June, sheriffs and law enforcement groups voiced greater opposition, concerned it would slash available revenues for public safety.
One of the recent voices has been Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who called the amendment a “train wreck.”
The measure would increase the $50,000 property tax exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. However, the portion of property tax bills that funds K-12 public schools would be excluded from the increased exemption.
Another provision would lower the cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.
Under state law, the measure requires 60% support from voters to pass in November.
Three different groups sued over the ballot summary, and Leon County Judge David Frank agreed that the language was misleading, ordering the amendment’s title and summary to be redrafted.
Groups opposed to the measure welcomed the new language.
“We applaud the Court for its thorough review of Amendment 3 and its ballot language. Judge David Frank’s ruling and the subsequent ballot language rewrite confirm what we’ve long known — this amendment is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Edie Ousley, spokeswoman for Vote No on 3, a group campaigning against the measure.
“Amendment 3 is not tax relief — it’s a tax shift. The proposal doesn’t eliminate the cost of local services — it shifts more of the burden onto renters, businesses and other property owners while leaving communities to make up the difference,” she added.
AMBER PATINO 