Florida AG submits revised Amendment 3 ballot language after judge finds original misleading

TALLAHASSEE — Attorney General James Uthmeier released a redraft of the ballot summary for Amendment 3 on Thursday, the large property tax cut measure originally pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A Leon County judge ordered the ballot summary and title of the proposal to be rewritten last week, saying the originals were misleading and filled with political rhetoric. The new version swaps out the old language with new wording.

For example, the initial title was "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes." The new version is "Increased Homestead Exemption, Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments."

RELATED: Local governments must finalize budgets before Florida voters decide on property taxes

In a statement, Uthmeier said law enforcement officials, many of whom have criticized the proposal for slashing revenues for public safety, should have been included in discussions to draft the property tax cut plan.

"Under Florida law, we don't have the ability to rewrite the full amendment, just the ballot summary and title consistent with the court's ruling," Uthmeier said.

"The amendment could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency and the meaningful involvement of key stakeholders, including our law enforcement agencies," Uthmeier said. "No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process."

For more than a year, DeSantis has toured the state harping on the need for a major cut to property taxes, at times questioning why property taxes should exist at all. He noted the sharp increase in property tax revenues received by local governments in the last six years, from $31 billion in 2019 to $55 billion in 2024.

DeSantis also touted the move as a way to cut costs for homeowners facing rampant inflation. As the idea formed into a distinct policy during a special session in June, sheriffs and law enforcement groups voiced greater opposition, concerned it would slash the available revenues for public safety.

One of the recent voices has been Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who called the amendment a "train wreck."

The measure would increase the $50,000 property tax exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. The portion of the property bill that goes to K-12 public schools would be exempt from the exemption.

Another provision lowers the cap on annual assessments increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

Under state law, the measure requires 60% support from voters to pass in November.

Three different groups sued over the ballot summary, and Leon County Judge David Frank agreed, ordering the redrafting of the amendment's title and summary.

Groups opposed to the measure welcomed the new draft.

"We applaud the Court for its thorough review of Amendment 3 and its ballot language," said Edie Ousley, spokeswoman for Vote No on 3, a group campaigning against the measure. "Judge David Frank's ruling and the subsequent ballot language rewrite confirm what we've long known – this amendment is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

In its original language, a June survey found nearly two-thirds of Florida voters would have supported the property tax amendment, though backing splits sharply along party lines. 

Florida News Service contributed to this report.