What is Amendment 3?
Amendment 3 is a statewide ballot proposal that would change how property taxes work in Florida. It will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. The amendment focuses on three main areas:
- Increasing the homestead exemption (non‑school taxes only)
- Limiting how fast taxable values can grow on some non‑homestead properties
- Setting rules for how local governments can spend property tax money
What changes would it make to homestead exemptions?
If passed, Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption on non‑school property taxes:
- Up to $150,000 in 2027
- Up to $250,000 in 2028
Starting in 2029, the exemption would adjust automatically for inflation.
New Florida residents would start with a smaller exemption and gradually move to the full amount over five years.
What is a homestead property?
A homestead property is a homeowner's primary residence that qualifies for Florida's homestead exemption benefits and Save Our Homes provisions. Vacation homes, rental properties and investment properties generally do not qualify.
What are homestead exemptions?
If you own a home in Florida and live in it as your permanent residence, you may qualify for a homestead exemption. An exemption lowers the assessed value of your home. When that assessed value goes down, the amount of tax you owe goes down as well.
Under the Florida Constitution, homeowners who apply and qualify for the basic homestead exemption can have their taxable home value reduced by $50,000. For example, if the Property Appraiser assesses the taxable value of your homesteaded property at $250,000, with the $50,000 exemption your taxable value drops to $200,000.
Florida offers several types of exemptions and different homeowners may qualify for different ones depending on their situation. Learn more about exemptions at the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser’s website.
Does Amendment 3 affect school taxes?
No, school taxes are not affected. The amendment only applies to property taxes collected by cities, counties and other taxing authorities (such as Children’s Services Councils, special fire districts like St. Lucie County’s, water management districts and others). However, it could affect services that cities and counties provide to school districts, such as School Resource Officers.
Would it eliminate property taxes?
Property taxes would still exist for public school-related funding and would reduce the amount of your homestead property value that can be taxed for non‑school purposes. However, Amendment 3 would mandate the Legislature to create a schedule for full elimination of homestead property taxes, with no deadline specified and no replacement revenue identified.
How would it affect non‑homestead properties?
These include rental homes, commercial buildings and second homes.
The amendment would lower the annual cap on how much their assessed value can increase:
- Current cap: 10% per year
- Proposal: 5% per year
This means taxable values would grow more slowly for those properties.
How could this affect the way local governments are funded?
Because more property value would be exempt from taxes, cities and counties would collect less money. Reduced revenue could affect local services, depending on how much taxable value is removed.
Examples of services that rely on property taxes include:
- Public safety, including police and fire rescue
- Road and traffic improvements
- Stormwater and drainage maintenance
- Public works and long‑term infrastructure projects
- Parks and recreation
- Events such as Fourth of July fireworks and PSL in Lights
Each community may be affected differently.
What can cities and counties spend property tax money on?
Under Amendment 3, non‑school property tax dollars can only be used for the core services listed below:
- Public safety (law enforcement, fire rescue, EMS)
- Local road and infrastructure projects
- Stormwater and flood control
- Natural resource projects
- Bond payments
- City and county administrative operations of the core services listed above
If property taxes can only be used for essential services, does that guarantee they’ll be funded?
No. The amendment cites what property tax dollars must be used for, however, it does not guarantee funding would be available. In many cities and counties across the state, the amount of funding available would be drastically reduced to pay for these priorities.
Who might benefit from the larger homestead exemption?
The impact varies:
- Long‑time homeowners may see the biggest drop in taxable value.
- Newer homeowners may benefit depending on their assessed value.
- Homeowners new to Florida after January 1, 2027 would see smaller initial savings until they qualify for the full exemption.
- People who already qualify for full exemptions (such as some disabled veterans) may see little or no change.
Does this help renters?
No, renters don’t receive property tax exemptions. Because rental properties would not be eligible for homestead exemptions, landlords would not receive any savings.
If cities and counties are forced to raise millage rates, landlords could pass on those increased costs to renters.
Why are property taxes important to local governments?
Property taxes are one of Florida’s most stable sources of funding. Unlike sales or tourism taxes, they don’t fluctuate as much during economic downturns. Cities and counties rely on them for everyday services like infrastructure and public safety, as well as long‑term planning.
Can’t local governments just pull money from funds other than property taxes?
Local governments in Florida can’t simply use other taxes (like gas taxes or sales taxes) to fill gaps in their general fund because state law tightly restricts how those revenues can be used.
Many of these taxes are legally required to pay for specific things, such as road work or transportation projects, and cannot be redirected to police, parks, drainage or other day‑to‑day city services. As a result, cities rely heavily on property taxes because they are one of the few flexible funding sources allowed under Florida law.
Are there any legal concerns?
Yes. Courts have required revisions to the ballot language to make sure it is neutral, clear and accurately explains the amendment. Updated language must be finalized before the election.
When would Amendment 3 take effect?
If approved, the changes would begin January 1, 2027. You would first see the impacts reflected in 2027 property tax notices and 2027–2028 property tax bills.
How could Port St. Lucie be impacted if Amendment 3 passes?
Port St. Lucie would be substantially affected due to its high percentage of homesteaded properties.
- The City estimates a $26.3 million revenue loss in the first year and an additional $22.1 million in the second year, totaling $48.4 million over two years.
For comparison, the Port St. Lucie General Fund collected:
- $94 million in FY 2025-26
- $105 million anticipated in FY 2026-27
This means Amendment 3 could remove nearly one-quarter of the City’s General Fund revenue, affecting how basic municipal services are funded.
Why is Port St. Lucie more affected than many other cities?
Port St. Lucie is primarily residential and has one of the highest proportions of homesteaded properties in the state:
- About 62% of all residential parcels receive a homestead exemption, compared to 47% statewide.
If the proposed exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 for non‑school taxes, many Port St. Lucie homes have assessed values that are already at or below those amounts.
As a result, the City would have significantly less property tax funding that it could collect. And because the majority of the properties in the City are residential, it has fewer commercial or industrial properties to offset that lost funding.
What services could be affected in Port St. Lucie?
Port St. Lucie leaders have publicly identified which services may face pressure if Amendment 3 reduces revenue:
- Police and emergency management
- Road maintenance, resurfacing and mobility improvements
- Stormwater management (canals, swales, drainage systems)
- Parks, recreation programs and neighborhood services
- Public works and citywide maintenance
What steps has Port St. Lucie already taken?
The City has already implemented early cost control steps, including:
- Hiring freezes
- Not adding new forecasted police officers and new parks staffing
- Deferring capital projects
- Salary adjustment suspension, and not offering cost of living adjustments for employees
- Restricting overtime spending
- Limiting travel, conferences and professional development, with exceptions for employees who must maintain certifications
- Evaluating service level changes
These steps reflect preparation for possible revenue shifts, not confirmation of future cuts.
How much of my property taxes go to the City?
Port St. Lucie residents pay property taxes to multiple taxing authorities in St. Lucie County, not just the City. Only about:
- 22% of your total property tax bill goes to the City of Port St. Lucie
- 78% goes to countywide and regional agencies (schools, fire district, water management district, etc.)
Why are local impacts so large?
Citywide Infrastructure
The City maintains:
- Over 1,300 miles of roads
- 1,200 miles of swales
- 200 miles of canals
- 66 parks
The City spans more than 120 square miles. Property tax revenue is critical for routine infrastructure maintenance and because of its overall size, there is a lot to maintain.
General Fund Dependency
Property taxes support nearly half of the City’s General Fund. When taxable value drops, Port St. Lucie may need to evaluate whether it will be able to fund:
- Current service levels
- Future infrastructure projects
How might local governments make up for reductions in property tax funding?
If Amendment 3 passes, local governments like Port St. Lucie will need to:
- Look at possible reductions in services, halting or delaying infrastructure projects and other cost-saving measures.
- Identify replacement revenue options. This could mean new or increased fees, assessments or other ways to generate necessary funding.
- Raise millage rates. This could mean increased costs for businesses and non-homesteaded property owners such as landlords, owners of vacation homes and others. Homesteaded properties would also see increases in property taxes if millage rates had to be raised.
- Seek additional state assistance (which is not guaranteed and will become more competitive as all cities and counties see funding sources cut).
Does the state plan to replace the revenue the City would lose?
No recurring source of state funding was identified to offset any city or county’s projected long-term revenue losses. Local governments are responsible for any resulting budget shortfalls.
Is Port St. Lucie telling residents how to vote on the amendment?
No. The City’s intent is to provide factual information so residents can make informed decisions. State law prohibits local governments from using public resources to advocate for or against a ballot measure. Individual elected officials, however, may express their personal views.