"We will weather this challenge": Broward reacts to Amendment 3's passage

Between the lines: The amendment, which goes into effect in January, lowers homeowners' property taxes statewide by increasing the homestead exemption from $50,00o to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 by 2028.

• The impacts will be felt in 2028.

Driving the news: Local officials have been preparing for the possibility of the ballot measure passing. Some anticipated it would pass the 60% threshold.

• It passed with about 62% of the vote, unofficial election results show.

The big picture: Broward County Administration and the Office of Management and Budget have been studying how the loss of revenue could affect the county and how it can avoid cuts to essential services.

• Meanwhile, County Administrator Monica Cepero is recommending a Board workshop for Amendment 3, according to a memo to the county commissioners.
• The administration also plans to reach out to the municipalities to learn their next steps in addressing their shortfalls.

What they're saying: "You have my assurances that we will make every effort to help the board maintain critical community services and minimize impacts to you, the dedicated, professional, Broward County staff who provide those services," Cepero wrote to county staff on Tuesday night.

• She added, "We are resilient, we will weather this challenge, as we have before… together."

Zoom in: In Fort Lauderdale, the city commission plans to seek public input on how to respond, whether by cutting back services or finding new revenue sources, such as raising taxes on non-homestead properties.

• "Do we cut back on police?" Mayor Dean Trantalis tells Axios. "Do we cut back on fire? Do we cut back on the operating hours of the parks? Do we slow up on our public works projects?"

Yes, but: Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that he'll call a special session before he leaves office to implement Amendment 3 and limit local governments' ability to fill the funding gap by raising other taxes.

• "We want to make people sure people are saving money," DeSantis said. "That's going to require a taxpayer bill of rights where we're not allowing to just go and put fees."

By the numbers: Fort Lauderdale anticipates a $17 million deficit in the first year and a $27 million shortfall in the second.

• Trantalis says he's optimistic the city can avoid cutting back on services because its tax base is not heavily reliant on homesteaded properties, pointing to the new high-rise developments all throughout the city.
• "Those are all rental communities, so it provides the cushion that we would need to keep the city moving forward," Trantalis adds.
• On the other hand, Hollywood projects shortfalls of $20 million and $34 million in the first two years.

The bottom line: "Let's face it, the people in Florida needed some measure of affordability relief and the state chose to impose the burden of that relief on the municipalities," Trantalis adds.

• "There were other places they could have looked."