The powerful Florida Sheriff’s Association is the latest group to criticize the November ballot measure to roll back property taxes, joining what has been a drumbeat of opposition from law enforcement and first responder organizations.
In a statement released Monday, the professional association of the state’s 66 elected sheriffs said it was “significantly concerned” with the measure, which “potentially allows Tallahassee to control your local budgets, creates longer law enforcement response times, limits communities’ abilities to provide road repairs and stormwater removal.”
“These are a few of the things voters deserve to be aware of,” the statement reads.
The tax-slashing proposal, sent to the ballot by the Florida Legislature after Gov. Ron DeSantis prodded lawmakers to eliminate property taxes on primary homes, is already opposed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the Florida Professional Firefighters union and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association.
So far, nobody has stepped forward to lead an organized campaign in support of the plan.
DeSantis, who announced he wouldn’t formally boost the measure after it was watered down to exclude school funding, has said he still intends to vote for it. It needs 60% of the vote in November to pass, a high hurdle that has been an obstacle to several initiatives including recreational marijuana and abortion rights.
The proposal creates a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027 and a $250,000 exemption the following year – creating a path to essentially eliminating property taxes on primary homes over time.
For property owners with a homestead exemption, that would result in thousands of dollars of annual savings.
An Orlando Sentinel analysis reviewed by local tax authorities found potential savings of $2,328 annually for a home in the City of Orlando valued at least $300,000. In Orange County, a homeowner in the same situation would save $1,972.
But local government officials of both parties, now joined by first responders, have warned it would result in drastic cuts to services.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, the association’s president, said tax relief is “an excellent idea,” but lamented, “we have no clear path for how we make up the revenue” to fund public safety across the state.
Woods said his county has nearly doubled in size over the past decade and he’s already short 125 deputies – while also facing higher gas prices and rising salaries to be competitive with neighboring agencies.
He said Florida Sheriffs will be tasked to educate their own communities on the ramifications of property tax cuts, which a panel of Florida economists estimated would cost cities and counties $12 billion, and local officials have said its passing would almost certainly lead to service cuts.
Several county sheriffs in the state had already expressed their concerns about Amendment 3, including Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
Gualtieri said the property tax ballot amendment is not the proposal that DeSantis first floated to voters and questioned why there were no protections for public safety funding.
“Is Tallahassee now going to control half the budgets and have to fund the local services for medium-sized and smaller governments? What’s going to happen with that? There’s no plan,” Gualtieri told the News Service of Florida.
Judd, who also chairs the State Immigration Enforcement Council, said the tax cut could have “unintended consequences” if passed.
“In its current form, I fear the proposal will devastate counties’ and cities’ ability to deliver vital services, including emergency services, to our citizens,” he said.
The conservation group the 1000 Friends of Florida also stated Monday it opposed the plan and was concerned it would harm community planning and conservation efforts.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
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