Tampa Bay leaders plan for Amendment 3 impacts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Charlie Crist said he voted against Amendment 3 out of concern for its potential impacts on public safety. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
After Florida voters approved Amendment 3, Tampa Bay government leaders must now work to address millions in lost property tax revenue that funds public safety and other government services.
Why it matters: That could mean service cuts, new taxes or fees, and layoffs of government workers or hiring freezes — although the exact impacts won't be known for some weeks or months, officials said.
- The amendment, which goes into effect in January, increases a tax break known as a homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 by 2027 and then to $250,000 by 2028. School taxes aren't impacted.
The big picture: "We're running a live experiment on 23 million Floridians with a ton of open-ended questions," former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, one of the measure's most outspoken critics, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Zoom in: St. Petersburg will be entering the new era with a new mayor who campaigned on cutting the city's property tax rate.
- Mayor-elect Charlie Crist said in a statement that he'll no longer pursue that cut because Amendment 3 passed.
- To make up the funding shortfall, Crist said he'll look at the top of the city's payroll, conduct an audit of spending, and "go after money the city is owed," including by reviewing how the city collects federal storm reimbursements.
- He also said he wants to speed along permitting to add new development to the city's tax base.
- "Savings come before any new fee," Crist said, which is significant as the city weighs whether to enact a fee to pay for fire and rescue services.
State of play: Outgoing Mayor Ken Welch's administration in August put out a request for bids from consultants who could design and implement the fee.
- Staff selected a consulting firm last month, per city procurement records, but a City Hall spokesperson did not respond to Axios' questions about next steps.
Zoom out: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said they'll work to implement the amendment while maintaining public safety.
- "... [O]ur responsibility now is to move forward, protect taxpayers, and continue delivering the public safety and quality of life services Tampa residents expect and deserve," Castor said in a statement.
Yes, but: Some smaller Tampa Bay governments that rely more heavily on property taxes will have a harder time absorbing the cuts.
What they're saying: "This is not simply a matter of identifying a few expenses to reduce or making incremental adjustments to the budget," St. Pete Beach City Manager Frances Robustelli said in a statement.
- Treasure Island City Manager Charlie Van Zant said he'll review every department and program for efficiencies.
- "I won't pretend these choices will be easy," he said. "Some will require us to say no to things we value."