The Florida Sheriffs Association president says the group has concerns about the proposed property tax amendment because there's "no set plan."
This comes as Floridians will decide in November whether to approve an amendment that would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes. Under the proposal, homeowners would receive an increased homestead exemption of up to $250,000 for property taxes.
While the proposal appears to be popular among Floridians — 74% of people support the amendment, according to an article published by the Florida Phoenix — representatives of public agencies across the state have raised concerns about how the reduction in property tax revenue could affect the services they provide.
Last week, the Florida Sheriffs Association released an official statement saying it was “significantly concerned with Constitutional Amendment 3” and warning about the potential effects of the proposed tax reduction.
Soon after, a Leon County judge also ruled the state must rewrite the ballot language before voters see it.
Billy Woods, Marion County sheriff and president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, spoke with Tom Hudson on "The Florida Roundup" and explained how the amendment could affect the communities served by his department.
“If the property tax, this Amendment 3 goes through, automatically I will lose 10 to 20% of the revenue for my law enforcement,” Woods said.
According to Woods, about 80% of the budget available to his office goes toward personnel. At the same time, he said his department is currently “125 deputies short” and would need another 350 officers over the next couple of years because of population growth.
For Woods, the issue is complicated because he is both a homeowner who would benefit from lower property taxes and a sheriff responsible for providing public safety services.
“I also know that in order for us to function in Marion County, we have to have certain services, and that means you got to be taxed. That means you have to pay your dues,” Woods said. “And when you have growth, infrastructure has to be kept up.”
According to the Florida Association of Counties, Marion County could see nearly $60 million less in property tax collections in 2027.
Attorney General James Uthmeier addressed concerns last week, saying he did not want to "jeopardize funding to go towards public safety" or law enforcement needs.
"I know our legislature agrees the same way. They would never let anything jeopardize those services, so there would need to be legislative changes made to protect those budgets," Uthmeier said.
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Sheriff Woods said the association's public statement about the amendment was more about addressing their worries — not about asking for it to be stopped.
"This has nothing to do with us coming out saying, 'Hey, we need to hit the pause button on this because his [Uthmeier's] statement is absolutely correct for him. He is dedicated to ensuring that public safety is No. 1," Woods added. "Here's some of our concerns as well: There's no set plan. There's nothing laid out to say that this is what's going to occur."
As November approaches, Floridians will have to weigh the potential property tax savings against concerns about how the reduction in revenue could affect public services, including law enforcement. For local officials like Woods, the uncertainty over how that gap would be addressed remains a key concern.
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Tom Hudson for "The Florida Roundup." Click here to listen to the full conversation.
