Florida AG Uthmeier rewrites Property Tax Amendment ballot summary, title after court ruling

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday released revised ballot summary and title for Amendment 3, a property tax proposal backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The rewrite comes after a judge ruled the original wording was misleading and politically charged.

Court orders rewrite

The backstory:

Leon County Judge David Frank last week ordered the amendment’s title and ballot summary rewritten after three groups challenged the language.

The original title, "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes," has been replaced with "Increased Homestead Exemption, Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments."

Uthmeier said his office could rewrite only the title and summary, not the proposed constitutional amendment itself.

What Amendment 3 would do

The measure would increase Florida’s $50,000 homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Taxes supporting K-12 public schools would not be affected by the increased exemption.

It would also reduce the cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

DeSantis has pushed for major property tax reductions for more than a year, pointing to an increase in local property tax revenue from $31 billion in 2019 to $55 billion in 2024.

Law enforcement raises concerns

The other side:

Uthmeier also said law enforcement agencies should have had a greater role in developing the proposal, which critics say could significantly reduce local government revenue used for public safety.

"No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process," Uthmeier said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has been among the law enforcement officials criticizing the proposal, calling it a "train wreck."

Opponents welcome new language

Groups opposing Amendment 3 praised the court-ordered rewrite but continued to criticize the underlying proposal.

Edie Ousley, a spokesperson for Vote No on 3, said the measure would shift costs rather than eliminate them, potentially leaving renters, businesses and other property owners to shoulder more of the burden.

Amendment 3 requires support from at least 60% of voters to pass in November.