Florida voters approve property tax-cutting Amendment 3

An aerial view of a Tampa neighborhood. Credit: Gianfranco Vivi / Shutterstock Florida voters have passed property tax-cutting Amendment 3, a proposal that critics say will have devastating impacts on funding for public services, including first responder services. With 96% of precincts reporting, Fresh Take Florida’s election dashboard shows the controversial amendment with nearly 62% of the vote, well above the 60% threshold needed to pass. The proposal will increase Florida’s homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with state economists saying the measure could reduce local government revenue by nearly $5 billion in its first year and nearly $8.8 billion the following year. Virtually funded entirely by the Florida Realtor’s Vote Yes on 3 PAC, Amendment 3 saw immense pushback from city officials, educators and especially first responders. Pretty much every law enforcement entity in the Tampa Bay area came out against th