New draft of Florida's proposed property tax ballot summary released after judge orders rewrite

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday released a redraft of the ballot summary of Amendment 3, the large property tax cut measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A Leon County judge last week ordered the ballot summary and title of the proposal to be rewritten, as the originals were misleading and filled with political rhetoric. The new version swaps out the florid rhetoric with staid, straightforward wording.

For example, the initial title was "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes," and the new version is "Increased Homestead Exemption, Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments."

In a statement, Uthmeier said law enforcement officials, many of whom have criticized the proposal for slashing revenues for public safety, should've been included in discussions to draft the property tax cut plan.

Polk County sheriff called amendment a "train wreck"

"Under Florida law, we don't have the ability to rewrite the full amendment, just the ballot summary and title consistent with the court's ruling," Uthmeier said. "The amendment could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency and the meaningful involvement of key stakeholders, including our law enforcement agencies. No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process."

For more than a year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has toured the state harping on the need for a major cut to property taxes, at times questioning why property taxes should exist at all. He noted the sharp increase in property tax revenues received by local governments in the last six years, from $31 billion in 2019 to $55 billion in 2024.

DeSantis also touted the move as a way to cut costs for homeowners facing rampant inflation, but as the idea formed into a distinct policy during a special session in June, sheriffs and law enforcement groups voiced greater opposition, concerned it would slash the available revenues for public safety.

One of the recent voices has been Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who called the amendment a "train wreck."

Ballot measure requires 60% support from Florida voters to pass in November

The measure would increase the $50,000 property tax exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, but the portion of the property bill that goes to K-12 public schools would be exempt from the exemption.

Another provision lowers the cap on annual assessments increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

Under state law, the measure requires 60% support from voters to pass in November.

Three different groups sued over the ballot summary, and Leon County Judge David Frank agreed, ordering the redrafting of the amendment's title and summary.

Groups opposed to the measure welcomed the new draft.

"We applaud the Court for its thorough review of Amendment 3 and its ballot language. Judge David Frank's ruling and the subsequent ballot language rewrite confirm what we've long known – this amendment is a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Edie Ousley, spokeswoman for Vote No on 3, a group campaigning against the measure.

"Amendment 3 is not tax relief – it's a tax shift. The proposal doesn't eliminate the cost of local services – it shifts more of the burden onto renters, businesses and other property owners while leaving communities to make up the difference," she added.

Survey shows most voters initially support the measure, but support drops when they are shown trade-offs

A survey from the conservative James Madison Institute found 74 percent of registered voters support the amendment. That support drops to 55 percent when voters are presented with trade-offs, which could include cuts in services or higher taxes in other areas.

That sentiment is reflected by voters who spoke with CBS News Miami.

"It sounds good, but what about what we receive from the city and the county?" said William Ogene. "It's really going to affect it. Is it really worth it just to save money on taxes?"

"I'm really going to dig deep into it and do my research before I make a decision on what I'm going to do," Ogene added.

Davie homeowner Barbara Ahwee sees the positive side of the amendment but has questions.

"Where is that shortage of money going to come from?" she asked. "The other services that we will lose if property tax is cut—it's not a win-win situation, is it?"