Florida Amendment 3 calculator: Projected county funding cuts
Amendment 3 impact calculator
Election Day is a little over a month away, and Amendment 3 is a big talker. Several cities and counties across the Tampa Bay area have talked about how core services and public safety will be impacted. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida voters will decide on Amendment 3 in November, a measure that would increase the homestead exemption while lowering the cap on increases in assessments for non-homesteaded property.
The Florida Policy Institute, a nonpartisan non-profit, has created a calculator showing how the proposed amendment could affect property-tax funding for counties and local special districts across the state.
Florida tax policy breakdown
What we know:
The calculator allows users to enter a ZIP code or select one of Florida's 67 counties to see projected base-level funding impacts if Amendment 3 passes.
For Hillsborough County, the calculator projects a combined impact of more than $971 million during the first two years.
It also breaks the numbers down by individual special districts.
Roads and transportation is among the largest projected impact in Hillsborough County, at about $44 million over two years. The calculator also shows a potential funding impact for the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.
In Pasco County, the fire district bond is listed as one of the largest potential impacts.
Tax data collection methods
Dig deeper:
Florida Policy Institute Research Director Esteban Santis said the organization collected information on taxing authorities across all 67 Florida counties to determine which local entities collect property taxes.
He said, "Once we had that data for all 67 counties, and we also downloaded the 2025 tax rules, so for the entire state, we were able to determine. Who is collecting property taxes? How much are they collecting?"
Santis said the figures are intended to show a baseline estimate of the potential impact.
Debating local revenue growth
The other side:
The potential funding reductions are being weighed against the growth in property tax revenue in some counties. Hillsborough County real estate agent Vincent Arcuri pointed to the increase in county property tax receipts in recent years.
He said, "2018, Hillsborough County, it was about $850 million, and you just come to today; it's $1.6 billion. So, when people ask, 'where's the money going to come from,' I ask, ‘Where did the money go?’"
Next steps for Florida voters
What's next:
The Florida Policy Institute says the calculator's figures are base-level estimates. The actual fiscal impact could be greater because funding for some services can fall into multiple categories.
Voters will decide whether to approve Amendment 3 on the November ballot.
The Source: The funding projections in this story come from the Florida Policy Institute's Amendment 3 local funding cuts calculator and comments from Florida Policy Institute Research Director Esteban Santis. The perspective on Hillsborough County's property-tax revenue comes from real estate agent Vincent Arcuri.