By Jackson Peel, Communications Director, Save Our Services – No on 3
Florida’s families and seniors are struggling under an affordability crisis. Prices have skyrocketed and our paychecks just aren’t keeping up with the cost of groceries, housing, fuel, utilities, and more.
We need real relief, and that’s why getting rid of homestead property taxes sounds tempting. It gives the false promise of helping, but the truth is that Amendment 3 is a scam and tax shift that will cut our services and raise our costs.
It’s crucial that we talk to our friends, family, and neighbors so that everyone understands what’s at stake. Ending property taxes is a massive tax break for the very wealthy, and a tax shift for the rest of us. We will either see drastic cuts to the safety and quality of our lives, or we pay more through increased taxes and fees.
Renters, you will end up paying more. Inevitably, non-homestead property taxes will go up, which means your rent is going up. This will make it even harder to save up to buy a home. Florida’s small businesses will face the same problem, and they’ll be forced to raise prices on all of us. This is bad for everyone.
The cuts our communities will face aren’t small. In five years, Amendment 3 could take around $46 billion from local services and programs that Floridians rely on every day.
Over $323 million in health care cuts.
Over $278 million in cuts to programs that help kids and families.
Locally, Lee County could see nearly $450 million every year less for things you currently fund yourself. There’s no plan to replace the money, so raising taxes and fees is the only way to keep these services.
Our law enforcement officers have said Amendment 3 is a threat to public safety. That means fewer first responders keeping our neighborhoods safe, and slower 911 response times when emergencies strike. This doesn’t create a better Florida.
Hardworking families and seniors need real affordability relief, not a scam and tax shift. We deserve the freedom to make our own decisions locally. That’s why the sheriffs, teachers, firefighters, police, and others across party lines are united in opposing Amendment 3 because of the harm it will cause our communities.
Floridians reject Amendment 3 when they understand what we all lose, but they are not moved by abstract “budget impacts.” People need to understand that property taxes pay for important things that affect them directly like public safety, health care services, EMTs, fire rescue, disaster recovery, support for our kids and seniors, parks, libraries, summer camps, road maintenance, and many other programs that communities rely on every day.
Help us spread the word to your friends, family, and neighbors. Write your local paper, post on social media, donate if you can. Speak out, and together we can stop this bad idea and save our services.
On November 3rd, vote NO on Amendment 3 to stop this scam and tax shift that will raise our costs and cut our services.