Correctional officers and jail safety: Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods emphasized that sheriff's office budgets support deputies, 911 dispatchers and correctional officers responsible for keeping county jails safe.
Projected staffing pressure: Woods estimated his office could lose $54 million under Amendment 3 while needing approximately 350 additional deputies over the next five years to keep pace with population growth.
Fire and EMS funding varies: Fire union leaders said Florida has no uniform funding model for fire service, but nearly all departments depend heavily on property tax revenue to staff stations, replace apparatus and train firefighters and paramedics.
Permitted does not mean guaranteed: Public safety leaders said Amendment 3 identifies law enforcement, fire and EMS as permitted uses of property tax revenue but does not guarantee how much funding those services would receive.
Potential operational effects: The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police warned that reduced staffing and cuts to specialized units could increase response times and create public safety consequences not reflected on residents' tax bills.
By Ryan Gillespie
Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. — Two of Florida’s best-known conservative sheriffs blasted the proposed Amendment 3 Tuesday, calling the property tax rollback a “train wreck,” “draconian,” and an “emergency” as campaigns on both sides of the contentious issue ramp up ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Alongside about two dozen sheriffs and representatives from several police and fire unions, Republican Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said voters should reject the increased homestead exemptions and instead urge Florida lawmakers to come up with a better plan to provide property tax relief.
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“So vote ‘No on 3’ now, and tell your legislators: ‘Get to work. I want tax relief, and I want my public safety protected. And by the way, I want my stormwater ditches clean, I want my mosquito control, I want my parks, I want my libraries,’” he said, standing in front of a sign reading ‘Amendment 3 is an Emergency.’ “You can have it all with responsible work by your legislators, but not with Amendment 3.”
Later Tuesday afternoon, Republican Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma told county commissioners that the potential cuts if Amendment 3 passes would be “devastating.”
He said his agency would see a $41 million decrease in operating revenues and the loss of 300 jobs.
“Calls to 911 will likely be delayed if they are not life-threatening situations,” Lemma said. “It would definitely, without question, have an effect on the quality of life.”
The proposal, if approved by 60% of voters in November, would create a new $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027 and a $250,000 exemption in 2028, which could mean thousands of dollars in tax savings to homeowners. Property taxes are assessed by local governments across Florida and fund most local services, including police and fire protection, which are usually the largest line item in a local government budget.
The amendment is backed by GOP nominee for governor Rep. Byron Donalds, and has also been supported by other top Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Sen. Rick Scott. But it has been criticized by many local GOP officeholders.
While several groups are leading opposition campaigns, Florida sheriffs and public safety officials appear to be out front in rallying voters against it.
A new ad released by the Florida Sheriffs Association features numerous uniformed sheriffs – including Orange County Sheriff John Mina, a Democrat – and argues that the proposal won’t actually result in savings but will just lead to tax or fee hikes to make up the revenue elsewhere.
Among their grievances Tuesday, the sheriffs said Florida lawmakers didn’t create protections for law enforcement funding prior to voting to send the proposal to the ballot, as they did for public schools.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, a Republican, called the idea “half of a good plan.” He said the amendment was too reliant on the Legislature figuring out the details at a later date, after enshrining the cuts in Florida’s Constitution.
“It’s an emergency because it strips out the biggest source of public safety funds without a way to replace them,” said Woods, the president of the Florida Sheriffs Association.
At the Seminole meeting, Lemma and other county officials said they understand that Florida residents face increases in costs for property taxes, groceries, insurance and other items. But Amendment 3 is not the answer, they said.
“People are feeling those increases, and they are looking for relief wherever they can find it,” Lemma said. “We all understand that. ... But budget reductions of this magnitude would significantly weaken crime prevention. It would fundamentally change our organizational structure, and the service we can provide.”
Of the $562 million Seminole County collects in property tax revenues, 72% or nearly $405 million pays for public safety — including the Sheriff’s Office, Seminole fire department, jail, and 911 operations.
But if voters approve Amendment 3, it could lead to a $119 million loss in annual revenues for Seminole once it’s fully implemented, according to budget documents.
Seminole Fire Chief Matt Kinley said the loss in revenue for his agency would mean longer response times for crews answering calls of fires. That could lead to greater risk to life and property damage because fires would grow larger.
Kinley estimated his department would have to eliminate 175 positions, or just over 30% of his firefighting force. It also would lead to longer response times for medical emergencies — including strokes, heart attacks or severe bleeding — by paramedics.
“The citizens need a break (on rising costs), but I don’t know if this is the right answer,” Commissioner Jay Zembower said. “The reality is, that it’s not prime time for this.”
Meanwhile, the campaign in favor of the amendment is being bankrolled so far by the Florida Realtors trade association, which has poured $10 million into the effort.
“Affordability is on the forefront for every Floridian, and they need meaningful relief,” said Florida Realtors president Chuck Bonfiglio Jr. “We’ve spent years working to help people buy homes. But buying the home is only half the challenge. We also need to make sure families can afford to keep the homes they worked so hard to purchase.”
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