Florida Homeowners Pass $250,000 Tax Exemption, Leaving Local Officials to Cover Gaps
Amendment 3 cleared the 60% bar with 62% support, while two other property tax measures failed to gain enough traction.
By Aiko Brooks ·
Florida voters approved a major expansion of the homestead property tax exemption on Tuesday, while simultaneously rejecting two other financial measures that would have altered state budget controls and agricultural tax breaks. The outcome creates an immediate financial challenge for local governments, which must now absorb the cost of the new exemption over the next two years.
Amendment 3, the winning measure, will increase the current $50,000 exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and again to $250,000 in 2028. The proposal received 62% of the vote, clearing the 60% threshold required for constitutional amendments to become law.
The path to this vote began with a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spent more than a year campaigning for the tax cut as property valuations rose. The Florida Legislature passed the proposal during a special session in June. DeSantis initially recommended an immediate jump to the $250,000 exemption, but lawmakers modified the plan to phase the increase and exclude school districts from the larger exemption.
The measure went directly to the ballot without requiring a gubernatorial signature. Despite the Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Realtors backing the amendment, several high-ranking GOP members warned of the potential strain on local services.
Jeff Brandes, a former Republican state senator who opposed the measure, argued that state leadership bears the burden of managing the financial aftermath. “Florida passed Amendment 3. The governor and the Legislature own what comes next. They have the responsibility to manage the fallout,” Brandes wrote on X.
Critics from emergency services and local government officials warned that the tax cut was too drastic for rural counties to handle without reducing essential services. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican and former Senate President, noted that the amendment applied a uniform standard to communities with different needs. “My concern is that the amendment is a one-size-fits-all amendment, and every community is different,” Passidomo told the News Service of Florida last month.
Two other amendments failed to reach the necessary majority. Amendment 1, which would have raised the cap on the budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of the previous year’s general fund revenue, failed with only 40% of the vote. DeSantis, who split with the RPOF on this issue, called the measure “foolish” and blamed former House Speaker Daniel Perez for the proposal.
Amendment 2 came closer to passing but still fell short. The measure, which would have exempted certain farm equipment and agritourism property from taxes, received 58.25% approval. Proponents estimated this would have generated a $30 million to $40 million tax cut for agriculture interests across all 67 counties.
Gov. DeSantis posted to X on Tuesday night to celebrate the passage of Amendment 3. “Big win on Amendment 3 for Florida homeowners!” he wrote. He also commented on the failure of Amendment 1, stating, “Amendment 1, a testament to our failed former speaker of the House, is deservedly going down in flames. Good riddance.”
