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Amendment 3: Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments

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Research as of Oct. 24, 2026. Early voting runs through Nov. 1; Election Day is Nov. 3. Check your voter info at votehillsborough.gov

Amendment 3: Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments

State Constitutional Amendments

Amendment 3: Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments

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Research as of Oct. 23, 2026

Read by a synthetic voice from this page’s research. A summary, not a recommendation.

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Florida voters will decide whether homeowners get a much bigger break on local property taxes. It needs 60 percent to pass. A Yes vote raises the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes to 150 thousand dollars in 2027 and 250 thousand in 2028. It cuts the yearly assessment cap on rentals, second homes and businesses from 10 percent to 5, and limits what local property taxes can pay for. New residents wait until their fifth year for the bigger exemption. A No vote keeps the current system. Supporters, including Governor Ron DeSantis, the Republican Party of Florida and Florida Realtors, say local budgets are bloated and this makes homes more affordable. Opponents, including Florida TaxWatch, sheriffs, firefighters and the Florida Democratic Party, say lost revenue would cut public safety or bring new fees, and shift costs to renters. Hillsborough County projects losing about 367 million dollars a year by 2029. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's editors say No. A Tampa Bay Times opinion piece calls it a tax-cut mirage; the paper also ran dueling guest columns. Through mid-October, the Yes side had raised about 21.5 million dollars, the No side about 870 thousand. Polls through mid-October put Yes between 42 and 63 percent, depending on wording. Research as of October 23, 2026. Sources and the full picture are on this page.

Official sample ballot wording

Constitutional Amendment No. 3

Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments

Article VII, Sections 4, 6 and 9; Article XII

This amendment increases the homestead exemption, for all non-school taxes, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and adjusts for inflation thereafter. It requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities, for their respective levies, to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value, and allows special districts, subject to referendum approval, to do the same.

Persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, will receive the existing homestead exemption upon qualifying for a homestead exemption, with the increased homestead exemption beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.

This amendment reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

This amendment requires counties and municipalities to use property taxes solely for public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration. Other expenditures may be approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law, notwithstanding Article VII, Section 9(a) of the Florida Constitution, which allows counties and municipalities to levy property taxes for their respective purposes.

This amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.

Yes · No

60% needed to passWhat this means

Mark your ballot: Amendment 3: Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments
EditorialWhy Creative Loafing picks No
  • State economists estimate local governments would lose about $11.8 billion a year by 2031–32. Even police and firefighter unions urge a No.
  • It was rushed through a three-day special session, and a judge threw out the first ballot title and summary.
  • The Florida Realtors lobby has put millions behind it. CL calls it a distraction from property insurance, the real cost problem, and a hypocritical power grab that would leave cities begging Tallahassee for money.
  • CL notes that even some of the amendment's former champions now say they'll vote No.

Ray Roa, Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: Florida's Constitutional Amendments

Where it stands

FactState amendments (60% needed) · Amendment 3 (Homestead exemption to $250K)

42-63% yes, median 50

6 polls in the analysis. Research as of Oct. 24, 2026.

Lead recommendationEditorialCreative Loafing Tampa Bay, Oct. 22, 2026

Creative Loafing’s pick

No

Why, as they argue it (our summary of their write-up)

  • State economists estimate local governments would lose about $11.8 billion a year by 2031–32. Even police and firefighter unions urge a No.
  • It was rushed through a three-day special session, and a judge threw out the first ballot title and summary.
  • The Florida Realtors lobby has put millions behind it. CL calls it a distraction from property insurance, the real cost problem, and a hypocritical power grab that would leave cities begging Tallahassee for money.
  • CL notes that even some of the amendment's former champions now say they'll vote No.

Ray Roa · Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: Florida's Constitutional Amendments · every pick: the full guide

Creative Loafing’s reporting on this race (13)

Why this leads: The site owner's choice (Oct. 24): the recommendation that best matches the owner's values, shown first on every contest. Still an editorial: one outlet's opinion, not this site's.

The money gap

Fact

25×Vote Yes on 3 has raised 25 times as much as Vote No on 3.

Raised by the committees on each side

  • Vote Yes on 3Yes side

    $21.5Mas of Oct 16, 2026

    Florida Realtors $19.5M, National Association of Realtors about $2M.

  • Vote No on 3No side

    $870Kdate not given

    Two committees combined, mid-October.

Figures from the money map research, compared like for like. Outside groups' spending isn't counted unless noted. The latest figures run to different dates, shown beside each amount.

What the research holds

Counts from every page and file
Polls
6
Money-map edges3 with money
10
Network edges
4
Progressive support
22
Progressive oppose
0
Right-leaning support
12
Right-leaning oppose
0
Sources
121
People & groups
43

Tampa Bay Times

EditorialMoney map

No

The Times' case
The Times calls it “a tax-cut mirage.”
The other side
Supporters, led by the Realtors, frame it as major homeowner tax relief.

EditorialAs recorded in each guide

Progressive guide
No editorial recommendation; dueling guest columns ran Oct 14–19
Right-leaning guide
No editorial recommendation; dueling guest columns ran Oct 14–19

Sources differTampa Bay Times position on Amendment 3

Other editorial pages

Opinion columns, not endorsements

No other editorial page in the research has made a pick here.

Endorsements, both lenses

Neither lens is this site's voice

Progressive lens

LensOpen the guide

Summary

YES raises the non-school homestead exemption to $150K (2027) and $250K (2028), cuts the non-homestead assessment cap from 10% to 5%, and restricts what local property taxes can fund. State economists estimate ~$5B in lost local revenue in year one, ~$11.8B/yr after five years.

Yes0 support · 0 oppose

No listings found in this guide.

Notes

  • No progressive group supports it.
No23 support · 0 oppose

SupportEndorsement

Labor
LGBTQ+
Environment & climate
Progressive & community organizing
Civil rights & civil liberties
Democratic Party & caucuses
Nonpartisan civic (context)

Notes

  • Florida Housing Coalition analysis (no formal position) projects rent increases of ~$400/yr for apartments and $1,000+ for rented houses (source). David Jolly will vote NO.

Conservative side, as noted in this guide

YES: Florida Realtors (sole funder, ~$18M through September), Gov. DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, Byron Donalds, Republican Party of Florida. NO (not progressive): Florida TaxWatch, Florida Professional Firefighters, Florida State FOP, Florida Fire Chiefs, Florida Association of Counties; Florida League of Cities calls it "a tax shift."

Searched, nothing found

Florida Immigrant Coalition (nothing on the residency provision), Florida Watch, Florida Decides Healthcare.

Right-leaning lens

LensOpen the guide

Summary

YES raises the non-school homestead exemption to $150K/$250K, cuts the non-homestead cap to 5%, and limits what local property taxes can fund. UNF poll (Oct 12–19, n=1,471 LV, ±2.81): 50% support, short of 60%, 14% undecided.

Primary notes

The biggest intra-right split on the ballot: the state and county GOP, DeSantis and the Realtors vs. TaxWatch, police, fire and the sheriffs.

Yes6 support · 0 oppose

SupportEndorsement

Republican Party & officials
Business & industry
No6 support · 0 oppose

SupportEndorsement

Republican Party & officials
Fiscal / free-market
  • Florida TaxWatch · Recommends NO (Sep 30): $45.8B local revenue cut over five years; prefers a Taxation and Budget Reform Commission reviewDirect
Law enforcement & public safety (often bipartisan)
Nonpartisan / government (context)

Notes

  • The free-market Tax Foundation published a critical analysis finding a net loss for renters, without taking a formal position (Tax Foundation). The two No committees had raised a combined $537,357 through September — about 1/34th of the Yes side.

Progressive side, as noted in this guide

Florida Democratic Party, FEA, ACLU, Equality Florida, Sierra Club, LWV and many more say NO.

Searched, nothing found

AFP, James Madison Institute, NFIB, AIF, Florida Home Builders. The Florida Chamber has an informational page but no stated position.

Terms

Definition

Sources

121 in the registry, official records first · All sources
Show 111 more sources

Where sources disagree

All conflicts

  • Florida Realtors → Vote Yes on 3

    • $18M, every dollar raised through September
    • ~$19.5M as of Oct 9; NAR $2,016,500
    • $21.5M raised through Oct 16; no new money Oct 10–16 (state records)

    Resolved: dated series; ~$21.5M total as of Oct 9; >98% of $14.47M spending Sep 8–Oct 9 went to SGS Inc.

    Both correct for their dates.

  • Amendment 3 statewide fiscal impact

    • ~$4.9B FY2027-28, ~$8.7B FY2028-29, possibly more
    • ~$11.8–12B per year when fully phased in
    • $45.8B over five years
    • $13.7B over the first two years (ITEP)

    Resolved: show all four with source and horizon

    Different horizons and bases. The official REC table was never extracted — listed as a gap.

  • Hillsborough County revenue loss under Amendment 3

    • $213M general fund by FY2029 (June staff estimate)
    • $248.6M (15.7%) FY2028 → $366.9M (23.2%) FY2029
    • up to $300M unincorporated (Property Appraiser Henriquez)

    Resolved: September county figures as primary; others as history

    Later and more specific.

  • Tampa Bay Times position on Amendment 3

    • No — 'a tax-cut mirage'
    • No formal recommendation; dueling guest columns Oct 14–19

    Resolved: editorial status 'guest-columns'; the quote is shown as a signed opinion piece

    Both are real; label honestly.

  • Florida Realtors amount used on different pages

    • $18M (through September) — polling page measureMoney, right-leaning page split card
    • ~$19.5M (Oct 9) — money map, fine print
    • $19.5M through Sep 30 in state records (seven checks; $18M was the Sept 14 total) — every page since the Oct 23 data drop

    Resolved: tooltip shows every dated reading wherever the number appears; since the Oct 23 drop all pages use $19.5M

    Pages were built from different as-of dates.

Matched from the research's conflict list by contest, candidate, judge or measure name.

Where to vote