Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has recently claimed that the state government can provide funds to “bedroom communities” if Amendment 3 passes. The controversial amendment would increase the homestead exemption for all non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. One of the most controversial aspects of the proposed amendment, however, is its potential to reduce funding for local communities in Florida.
As reported by Florida Politics, some counties could lose over 30% of their revenue, making it harder to fund essential services such as police and fire departments, particularly in rural areas.
DeSantis reportedly acknowledged the issue, saying that communities such as Citrus and Hernando counties could receive help from the state government and promising that “we will absolutely help.” However, the money would be distributed through “grants” for “critical needs” rather than being used to “backfill” lost revenue.
Floridians Criticize Governor DeSantis
DeSantis’ proposals received a fairly negative reaction on social media, with many Floridians on r/Florida criticizing the governor.
Many commenters in the thread were concerned that this would give the state government greater control over small counties: “Amendment 3 would effectively make every community a puppet of Tallahassee if they or their fire/ police need funds, you’ll have to change your unapproved ‘woke’ laws before they’ll approve ‘grants.’”
Others agreed: “Essentially it’s going to be: Blue areas need money = irresponsible welfare queens. Red areas need money = we gotta help our neighbors.”
What made the situation even more concerning to some locals was the fact that “Florida doesn’t have a state income tax. Most of the money coming in to fund police and fire and infrastructure is from property tax. If we get rid of the property tax before setting up a replacement for the funds, everyone is going to be severely impacted.”
Some folks were seemingly enraged that DeSantis would make such promises when he would no longer be governor in 2027: “Isn’t this clown out of a job in about two months?” Others added: “It’s like a $50B shortfall Tallahassee won’t pick up. Also, DeSantis is done with being governor, so why is he making promises he won’t be keeping?”
If Amendment 3 passes, it remains to be seen how it will affect rural communities in Florida and whether the state will help if it negatively impacts the budget of counties.
