Realtors push Amendment 3 committee past $21 million as homestead tax measure trails 60% mark

The political committee backing Amendment 3, Florida's ballot measure to sharply raise the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes, has now raised more than $21 million, boosted by its first major check from outside the state's Realtor organization. The National Association of Realtors gave $2,016,500 on Oct. 9, Florida Politics reported Friday, Oct. 17, bringing the Vote Yes on 3 committee's total to $21,516,510 as of that date, with roughly $7 million left to spend.

The money arrives as early voting opens Monday, Oct. 19, and as public polls continue to show the amendment below the 60% approval it needs to become part of the Florida Constitution on Nov. 3.

Where the money comes from

Until the national group's contribution, the committee had been funded almost entirely by Florida Realtors, the state trade association. Reporting in early October found that the committee's $18 million September haul came from that single source, with the association's chief executive, Margy Grant, listed as the contributor. Florida Realtors earlier put $10 million into the effort, according to Florida Politics.

Spending has also drawn scrutiny. Between Sept. 8 and Oct. 9, the committee paid out $14,465,117, of which $14,213,745 went to SGS Inc., a Gainesville firm tied to longtime Republican operative Pat Bainter, according to Creative Loafing Tampa and Florida Politics. Because SGS is a private company, how it spent that money on the campaign's behalf is not detailed in state filings.

The opposition is far smaller. Two committees opposing the measure, Floridians for Shared Prosperity and Vote No on 3 Florida, had raised a combined $537,357 as of late September, according to figures compiled by OpenSecrets and reported by the Florida Phoenix, a ratio of more than 33 to 1. A WFLX report in early October put the opponents' total at about $680,000. Those committees have drawn money from a mix of corporate, individual and nonprofit contributors, according to that report.

What Amendment 3 would do

The measure was placed on the ballot by the Legislature through House Joint Resolution 1-F after Gov. Ron DeSantis called lawmakers into special session, and DeSantis has championed it. Its main provisions:

• Raises the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments after that.
• Leaves school property taxes under the existing $25,000 exemption, so school districts are not directly affected.
• Directs the Legislature to set a schedule for continuing to raise the exemption toward a home's full assessed value, which would eventually eliminate non-school property taxes on primary residences.
• Lowers the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, such as rental units and commercial buildings, from 10% to 5%.
• Gives people who become Florida residents on or after Jan. 1, 2027 a smaller exemption at first, with eligibility for the full increase in the fifth year of their homestead exemption.
• Lists permitted uses of property tax revenue, including public safety, schools, infrastructure, natural resources, debt, retirement costs and operations.

Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a revised ballot title and summary after a Leon County circuit judge found parts of the original language misleading. The underlying amendment text did not change.

What it would mean for tax bills and local budgets

Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez told Bay News 9 that the average homeowner in his county could save about $2,000 a year once the measure is fully in place, with results varying by property. Some line items on a modest home's bill would drop to zero, he said, but school taxes and non-ad valorem charges such as stormwater, solid waste and special district assessments would remain. WLRN estimated that the owner of a $400,000 primary residence in Broward County would pay about $2,672 less in 2028 if millage rates hold steady.

The flip side is lost local revenue. The Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research estimates the measure would reduce local government property tax collections by $13.7 billion over its first two years and by nearly $12 billion a year after that. Florida's schools, counties, cities and special districts collected about $59.1 billion in property taxes in 2025, nearly 75% more than in 2019, according to WLRN.

Henriquez said unincorporated Hillsborough County alone could lose as much as $300 million and that some local leaders are weighing new fees, which the exemption would not cover. In Duval County, opponents have estimated losses near $1.69 billion over five years.

The public safety argument

The fight has centered on police and fire budgets. A Florida League of Cities analysis found that in 176 of the state's 276 cities, spending on police, fire and emergency medical services exceeds all property tax revenue, and that 85 cities could not fund public safety at current levels even if every other property tax-funded service were eliminated. The Florida Association of Counties says public safety is the largest budget item in 55 of 67 counties.

The Vote No on 3 coalition includes sheriffs and city and county officials, and the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police and the Florida Professional Firefighters have come out against the measure. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a prominent Republican, is among the opponents.

Supporters, including Florida Realtors and Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, say the measure's list of required uses for property tax money protects public safety and that local tax collections have grown fast enough to absorb the cut. Florida Realtors calls it an affordability measure. Independent analysts are skeptical of the protection claim: former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes told WLRN that nothing in the amendment guarantees police or fire are funded first, and the Tax Foundation's Jared Walczak said the provision does not appear to meaningfully restrict spending. Democratic nominee David Jolly has said he will vote no.

Polls show a gap to close

Every recent public poll shows more support than opposition, but none of the independent surveys puts the measure at 60%.

The Mason-Dixon survey of 625 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points. In that poll, supporters most often cited high property taxes, while opponents pointed to possible cuts to local services. A poll for the James Madison Institute by Targoz Market Research and one by the Pioneer Institute have shown higher support, though pollsters have worded the question differently.

What's next

With about $7 million left in the bank as of Oct. 9 and early voting starting Oct. 19, the Yes on 3 campaign is positioned to dominate advertising through Election Day. The large undecided share in every poll means the closing weeks matter: if the amendment reaches 60% on Nov. 3, the first $150,000 exemption would apply to 2027 tax bills, and counties and cities would begin rewriting budgets well before then. If it falls short, the Legislature could try again, and DeSantis has made property tax relief a signature issue of his final term.