Beaches Watch Monthly Meeting

LEARN ABOUT AMENDMENT 3 BEFORE YOU VOTE

Beaches Watch will host a community meeting on Wednesday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at the Beaches Museum Chapel, 505 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, to help voters better understand Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment concerning homestead property taxes that will appear on the November 2026 General Election ballot.

The meeting is open to the public, and voters are encouraged to attend and learn more about what the amendment proposes and what changes to property tax revenues could mean for taxpayers, counties, municipalities and the services they provide.

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.

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 has invited three 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

Beaches Watch President Maria Mark said, “There is a lot of information—and misinformation—circulating about the future of property taxes. We want residents to have an opportunity to hear different perspectives, ask questions and better understand what these proposed changes could mean for homeowners and for the communities in which we live.”