The Florida Legislature held a special session for two days in June and approved a ballot amendment to increase the homestead exemption on all homesteaded properties. The proposed changes to the homestead exemption will be on the November 3 ballot as Amendment 3 and voters are encouraged to learn more about Amendment 3 before you vote.
You can read the approved property tax legislation here: HJR 1-F
LEARN ABOUT AMENDMENT 3
Property taxes are one of the revenue sources used by local governments to provide public services. Amendment 3 would change the constitutional framework governing homestead exemptions and property assessments by increasing the homestead exemption for certain non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with subsequent adjustments for inflation. Amendment 3 would also decrease the assessment cap on non-homesteaded properties and would not allow the increased exemptions to apply to homesteaded properties for anyone who has not lived in Florida for a minimum of 5 years.
What could these changes mean for homeowners? What could they mean for local governments and the services they provide? And what information should voters consider before casting their ballots?
To answer these questions and more, Beaches Watch hosted a panel of speakers to provide different perspectives on the amendment:
- Rick Mullaney, Director, Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute
- Charles Chapman, Finance and Taxation Legislative Advocate, Florida League of Cities
- Mike Staffopoulos, Jacksonville Beach City Manager
You can see the presentation provided by Jacksonville Beach City Manager Mike Staffopoulos here: Beaches Watch October 2026 Presentation
You can watch the Amendment 3 panel discussion here:
You can also find more information that has been shared by the City of Atlantic Beach and the City of Jacksonville Beach here:
Atlantic Beach: https://coab.us/Amendment3
Jacksonville Beach: https://jacksonvillebeach.org/TaxTalk
CITY BUDGETS 101
For a deeper dive into how City budget work, Beaches Watch hosted a special meeting with the three beaches City Managers in February 2026. This meeting provided an excellent presentation about City budgets, how much cities receive from property taxes and how the money is used.
You can see the meeting presentation here: City Budgets 101 Presentation
Learn more by watching the meeting here:
UNDERSTAND YOUR CITY’S BUDGET
You’ll be voting on Amendment 3, known as the property tax amendment, in November. So, it’s important to understand how your property tax dollars are used by your city. The best way to do this is to review your city’s budget. Click the below links to see your city’s budget.
ATLANTIC BEACH BUDGET INFORMATION
JACKSONVILLE BEACH BUDGET INFORMATION
NEPTUNE BEACH BUDGET INFORMATION
It is important to note that your city’s budget is more than just property taxes:
Enterprise Funds: these are funds that pay for themselves (i.e. water, sewer, sanitation)
Restricted Funds: these are funds that can only be used for specific purposes allowed by the state (i.e. Building Division, Gas Tax, Visitor and Tourism).
Unrestricted Funds: these are funds that can be used for any type of expense and these funds go into the General Fund budget. The General Fund budget receives funds from property taxes, licenses & permit fees, fines, charges for services, intergovernmental revenues, interest, and transfers from other revenue sources.
Your city’s General Fund budget pays for the following:
- Police
- Fire
- Lifeguards
- Animal Control
- Streets
- Sidewalks
- Parks
- Planning & Development
- Code Enforcement
- City Management: City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, Finance
NEW: PROPERTY TAX IMPACT TOOL
To better understand how Amendment 3 will impact YOUR city’s budget, check out this Property Tax Impact tool that shows how much revenue your city will lose if Amendment 3 is passed.
ATLANTIC BEACH PROPERTY TAX IMPACT TOOL
JACKSONVILLE BEACH PROPERTY TAX IMPACT TOOL
NEPTUNE BEACH PROPERTY TAX IMPACT TOOL
This tool also gives you the ability to balance your city’s budget by reducing the city services expenses that are currently paid for by property taxes. This is a very comprehensive tool that helps voters see their city’s budget and decide for themselves what services would be impacted by the lost property tax revenue.
BEACHES SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT AMENDMENT 3
Beaches city staff and elected officials held meetings to discuss the potential impact from the loss of property tax dollars if the property tax amendment passes in November. You can learn more about recent discussions in Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach from Beach Gazette articles:
Jacksonville Beach Staff to Council: a potential $4.86 million hole and no painless way to fill it
Atlantic Beach weighs budget options ahead of property tax vote
AMENDMENT 3 INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES
Because property taxes are used to fund a wide variety of municipal services, the approval of Amendment 3 would have a broad impact. To better understand that impact, you are encouraged to learn more about various perspectives on Amendment 3:
Public Safety Perspectives on Amendment 3:
Sheriff Michelle Cook explains that the Clay County budget is very lean and police and fire are 100% completely funded by property taxes. If Amendment 3 passes, her department would be forced to lay off 250 public safety employees.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook discusses Amendment 3
Florida Sheriff’s Association:
Real World Impacts of Amendment 3 – Part 1
Former Senator Jeff Brandes discusses Amendment 3
Other perspectives on Amendment 3:
Florida Policy Institute: https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/voter-guide-what-floridians-should-know-about-amendment-3
Florida Association of Counties: www.KeepFloridaThriving.com
Florida Recreation and Parks Association: https://frpa.org/legislative/2026-property-tax-reform
Florida Nonprofit Alliance: https://www.flnonprofits.org/property-tax-resource-center
American Planning Association Florida Chapter: https://whatsatstakefl.org/
Local Voices United: localvoicesunited.com/property-tax
Florida Realtors Association: https://voteyeson3.com
Vote No on Amendment 3: https://votenoonamendment3.com/
Florida Tax Watch: https://floridataxwatch.org/research/florida-property-tax-resource-center/
Florida League of Cities: https://www.flcities.com/floridaformula
FROM THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES
Why Property Taxes Are Essential
- Property taxes fund the services that keep communities safe and functional. Property taxes fund core public safety and infrastructure, including police, fire, emergency response, and roads. These services make communities safe, insurable, and economically viable.
- Florida is already a national leader in taxpayer value. Florida consistently ranks among the best states for taxpayer return on investment, meaning residents receive strong public services for the taxes they pay. Local governments deliver disciplined, efficient spending even as costs rise, which is why Florida’s effective property tax rate is roughly half that of Texas. This balance of affordability and service is a competitive advantage worth protecting.
- Property taxes provide stable and predictable revenue, particularly during economic downturns when sales taxes and tourism-related revenues are volatile.
- Florida’s property tax system was designed by voters, not politicians. Florida voters already approved caps for annual homestead assessment increases at 3%, protecting full-time homeowners from sudden tax spikes even when market values soar. That’s not a loophole; it’s a voter-approved safeguard.
- Cities are partners in the state’s prosperity. Cities are committed to fiscal discipline, local accountability, and keeping Florida an affordable and secure place to live.
What’s at Stake
- This proposal is a tax shift, not a tax cut. Eliminating property taxes doesn’t eliminate the cost of government — it shifts the burden onto renters and small businesses through higher fees, new taxes, or reduced services.
- Smaller communities face the steepest impact. An independent property tax study, modeling a $250,000 homestead exemption, found that some cities could see their tax base reduced so significantly that maintaining current levels of essential services would be at risk — with smaller communities facing the steepest impact.
- Many Florida cities would have to dedicate nearly all remaining property tax revenue to public safety and still face funding shortfalls.
- Eliminating property taxes without a sustainable replacement threatens the services residents depend on every day. Experts estimate it would blow a $43 billion hole in local budgets. To replace that revenue, Florida would need to double the state sales tax to 12% — the highest in the nation.
- Local governments have made long-term commitments and issued bonds for critical infrastructure projects. Those obligations remain regardless of changes to the tax structure.