Florida's Amendment 3 Tax Cut Squeezes City Budgets; Transit and Library Projects Face Cuts
Amendment 3, passed with 62% support in the November 3 midterm elections, will raise the homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 starting next year and $250,000 in 2028, and Florida cities are tightening their budgets. According to a November 12 Florida Today report, Miami-Dade County may cut transit service frequencies and routes, with the county transportation department expecting to take in $27 million less next year as a result. Sarasota County's $11 million Longboat Key library project is at risk; St. Johns County has shelved $100 million in infrastructure projects, including a planned fire station; and the city of Jupiter may delay more than $20 million in road, community center and five park projects.
Statewide, cities are estimated to lose a combined $13 billion over the next two fiscal years, and many are considering hiring freezes, service cuts and postponed construction. Governor Ron DeSantis said he is considering calling a special session within the next two months to work out the amendment's implementation details. Supporters argue the new rules will force local governments, bloated by years of rising home prices, to slim down; city officials say the fiscal outlook remains uncertain.
Source: Florida Today
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：佛罗里达州议会大厦（塔拉哈西）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Michael Rivera 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0。 Image: The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. Source: Wikimedia Commons, photo by Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0.
