TALLAHASSEE — On Aug. 3,  Friends of Florida announced its opposition to Amendment 3, the property tax measure headed to the November 2026 ballot, warning that it would sharply reduce the local revenue that pays for roads, public safety, parks and conservation while offering limited and unevenly distributed relief to homeowners. The measure was placed on the ballot during a two-day special session called on a few days’ notice in June.

An analysis by state economists, delivered after the measure passed, projects that Amendment 3 would reduce local government property tax revenue, the primary funding source for services Floridians rely on daily, by roughly $5 billion in its first year and $12 billion by its fifth year. Because Florida’s communities are so varied, 1000 Friends argues a single statewide formula would hit them unequally, with the deepest impacts on less affluent rural areas and neighborhoods of full-time, homesteaded residents. To close the gap, local leaders could be forced to cut essential services, drain reserves, raise taxes on non-homesteaded properties, and add or increase sales taxes and fees.

“Legislators didn’t do their homework before they approved this tax proposal,” said Paul Owens, president of 1000 Friends of Florida. “If it passes, it will threaten our quality of life, the main reason Floridians build their lives and businesses here.”

The organization is especially concerned about impacts to community planning and conservation. Slashed city and county budgets would shrink funding for local and regional planning — which directs public investment where communities need it — along with affordable housing, parks, and green spaces that protect Florida’s water supply, rivers and wildlife. Funding could also be cut for the five regional water management districts responsible for flood control, water quality and Everglades restoration. Credit rating agencies have warned they may downgrade local governments if the measure passes, making borrowing for infrastructure and conservation land more expensive. 1000 Friends of Florida contends the amendment’s ballot summary does not clearly convey these consequences to voters.

Rather than settling for a measure rushed to the ballot, the organization points to a better, existing process: the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission — charged with evaluating the state’s tax structure, revenue needs and government efficiency — is scheduled to convene in 2027. Reform on the scale proposed in the amendment, the group argues, should be addressed through the commission’s vetted, deliberative process rather than being locked into the Constitution through a rushed process a year ahead of it. 1000 Friends of Florida urges Floridians to vote no on Amendment 3.

About 1000 Friends of Florida

Founded in 1986, 1000 Friends of Florida is a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to saving special places, building better communities, and advocating for sustainable growth.

The organization’s full position statement and additional resources on Amendment 3 are available at https://1000fof.org/propertytax/