The Florida Democratic Party has formally opposed Amendment 3, which aims to create exemptions for property taxes below a certain threshold. The criticism of Republicans and Governor Ron DeSantis reverberated online, with multiple Florida residents complaining about the state’s politicians.
According to Florida Politics, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said that Amendment 3 was “just plain bad for Florida,” arguing that the exemptions would hurt local communities while reducing funding for local services. Fried even called the measure a “scam,” claiming it would “either raise other taxes on working families or rob their communities of essential services.”
The measure is not very popular at the moment, according to a new poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab, which suggested that initial support of 61% has recently fallen to 45%.
Florida Residents Slam Republican Party
On Reddit’s r/Florida, residents complained about the Ron DeSantis-backed plan. One of them challenged the idea that the state has enough money, saying: “They’re claiming we have such a huge surplus. Why are teachers making so little in FL then?” Someone else added: “The best part of Florida is the potholes, the lack of police, and the declining schools said the rich Republican who doesn’t want to pay taxes.”
Others seemed skeptical that anyone would end up paying fewer taxes: “Either local governments will just raise taxes in another format (increased fees for government services, etc.) or you’re going to lose your essential services.”
One seemingly irritated user blamed retirees for the measure, arguing that it would make the state’s essential services much worse: “Yeah, its the ultimate ‘[expletive] you, got mine!’ By greedy retirees to Florida families – lets underfund the hell out of schools Florida is turning into a sad joke.”
However, many folks believed there was nothing to worry about: “The measure isn’t doing well. Polls show it struggling to get to 50% support, let alone the 60% needed for passage. Also, the most fervent proponent of the property tax measure, Ron DeSantis, has distanced himself from the final product that made it onto the ballots, and won’t actively campaign for it.”
If Amendment 3 passes, it would raise the homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with further increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. The measure will go before voters in November.
