A proposed property tax amendment on the state’s general election ballot could bring relief to Florida homeowners, but Waldo leaders warn that the ballot measure could impact city services and programs due to lost revenues.
In June, the Florida Legislature approved a property tax measure that could drastically reduce property taxes for homeowners, but could cost local governments across the state billions in lost revenues. The proposal, which needs a 60% approval by Florida voters by Nov. 3, would amend the state’s non-school homestead tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000.
The city of Waldo, located in east Alachua County, is home to around 1,303 residents. The small city is expected to lose almost $50,000 in tax revenue if the amendment is passed. A $250,000 homestead tax exemption could reduce Alachua County’s property tax revenue by more than $48.9 million, according to county estimates.
Included in the city's taxable revenue is a budget for road repairs and infrastructure improvements, said Amanda Brown, Waldo’s city manager.
Alachua County helps fund road repairs on county roads and lends Waldo equipment for infrastructure improvements, Brown said. If the amendment were to pass, extra assistance could “go away” as the county navigates its own budget cuts, she added.
“As the county needs to focus its resources on the things that matter most to it, roads are something that could be affected because we would need to make sure that the city itself would fund all of that ourselves,” Brown said. “We wouldn't get that extra help that we get.”
If the amendment passes, Waldo will explore applying for grants or seeking state appropriations, to help offset potential revenue loss, Brown said.
Other Waldo leaders have also raised concerns about potential cuts to police and fire services. Should the amendment pass, the city could see a reduction in public safety services, said Monique Taylor, a Waldo city council member.
In 2014, Waldo’s City Council voted to disband the city’s police department and transfer law enforcement responsibilities to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, citing lack of funding. The department had five officers, according to news reports.
Waldo also relies on Alachua County Fire Rescue for fire protection rather than operating its own municipal fire department.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Department declined a request for comment on Oct. 19 on how it would navigate potential budget cuts if the amendment passes. Instead, the office referred to a written statement by Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott, provided by Lisa Sacaccio, the office’s public information officer.
“Make no mistake: Amendment 3 threatens to hollow out public safety funding at its core,” Scott wrote. “No replacement plan. No safety net. Just a growing gap between what our communities need and what departments will have the resources to provide.”
Scott, along with a coalition of Florida law enforcement officials, oppose the proposed amendment. In August, the Florida Sheriff's Association released a statement expressing concerns about potential cuts to public safety funding.
The opposition has received bipartisan support, Taylor said, including from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. The number of public safety officials opposing the proposal “speaks volumes,” she added.
“That's a hit that's going to be for all of our smaller municipalities who depend on an outer agency's interlocal agreement,” Taylor said.
Supporters of the ballot measure say that the amendment protects funding for public safety services and gives voters an opportunity to voice concerns about property taxes and advocate for reform.
The amendment requires local governments to use property tax revenue for public safety and other services, including infrastructure and government employee retirement benefits. However, it does not address potential budget reductions.
Tim Marden, the chair of the Alachua County Republican Party, said he thinks campaigns criticizing the ballot measure with concern to public safety are misinformed. He said the language prioritizes police and fire.
Additionally, he said “social services should be cut” and that churches and volunteer groups should instead provide those services, although he didn’t clarify which services he meant. Marden, who is also mayor of Newberry, said this has worked “perfectly fine” for his city, and that there’s no reason the county shouldn’t follow along.
“I don’t share those concerns,” Marden said, referring to concerns for public safety resources raised by critics of the measure. “I think they are scare tactics.”
“People need to look beyond the rhetoric and actually read the bills.”
Beyond Waldo, activists have also steered their efforts toward informing Alachua County residents about Amendment 3 and potential budget cuts to social and public services.
Jackson Peele, communications director for the political committee, Save Our Services — No on 3, said the cuts to public safety are the "most concerning” impact of the amendment. If passed, public safety will potentially cut staffing for fire and police departments, he said.
Peele has also worked with the Gainesville City Commission and other Alachua County municipalities to publicly oppose Amendment 3. In a Sept. 17 press release, Waldo Mayor Louie Davis joined other mayors across the county in opposing the amendment.
The amendment will likely create a tax shift, forcing renters and residents to pay more taxes elsewhere, Peele added.
“They can’t just shutter the libraries and put the officers on leave,” he said. “Families are going to see other taxes go up. It could be a county gas tax, a non-homestead property tax increase… my concern is that this isn’t going to be a real savings for anyone.”
Smaller cities and rural communities like Waldo have fewer commercial properties and businesses to help offset significant budget cuts, he said. Rural communities may also be spread far apart, making it more difficult to rely on neighboring municipalities for assistance.
If a fire truck or ambulance must travel from elsewhere in the county, response times could increase, potentially allowing fires to spread and delaying medical assistance, he said.
“Disaster response time is going to be worse, when you have a car crash, when someone breaks into your house, when your house is on fire, those extra minutes can be the difference between life and death,” Peele said. “It’s really important that we have adequate resources to keep us safe.”