Florida’s “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” Amendment: What It Could Mean for St. Johns County

Florida’s proposed “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” amendment sounds simple: lower property taxes for homeowners.

But every St. Johns County voter should ask one basic question before supporting it:

What permanently replaces the local revenue used to fund roads, fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement, drainage, infrastructure, parks, libraries, and basic county services?

Indivisible St. Johns County supports targeted relief for people who truly need help staying in their homes, including seniors on fixed incomes, working families, and first-time homebuyers.

Our concern is that this proposal removes major recurring local revenue without a clear, guaranteed, permanent replacement plan.

Why This Matters in St. Johns County

St. Johns County is growing fast. Growth brings more homes and more tax base, but it also brings more cars, more traffic, more drainage needs, more calls for fire rescue and EMS, more law enforcement demand, and more infrastructure costs.

Saying “tax collections have gone up” does not answer the full question. In a fast-growing county, the cost of serving the community goes up too.

The question is not whether homeowners want lower tax bills. Of course they do.

The question is whether this plan responsibly explains how local services will be funded after recurring local revenue is removed.

Estimated Local Revenue Loss

The Florida Association of Counties has published a county-by-county property tax impact map showing estimated local revenue reductions under the proposed homestead exemption changes.

View the Florida Association of Counties Property Tax Impact Map:
https://www.fl-counties.com/property-tax-map/

According to the map, St. Johns County could lose tens of millions of dollars in the first phase and more than $100 million when the plan is fully phased in.

That is not a small budget adjustment. That is a major change to how local services are funded.

The Home Rule Problem

This proposal also raises a serious home rule concern.

If Tallahassee reduces local revenue and then decides how counties may be reimbursed, local communities lose control over local priorities. St. Johns County residents should decide how to fund local needs, not be forced to wait on the state Legislature for permission or replacement funding.

We are already seeing the consequences of weakened home rule in Florida. Development moves ahead before infrastructure is ready, and local residents are left dealing with traffic, flooding concerns, habitat loss, overcrowded roads, and strained services.

This amendment could make that problem worse by shifting more budget power away from local communities and toward Tallahassee.

Costs Do Not Disappear. They Shift.

If the state cuts local property tax revenue without a guaranteed replacement, counties may be forced to rely on other options, including:

Higher sales taxes
Higher fees
Special assessments
Deferred infrastructure projects
Reduced services
Greater dependence on Tallahassee for local funding

Those choices can hit renters, seniors, working families, and lower-income households especially hard.

Renters do not receive the homestead exemption directly. If costs shift to sales taxes, fees, rents, or reduced services, the people least able to absorb those costs may end up paying anyway.

A Better Approach: Targeted Relief

Florida needs real affordability solutions. That includes property insurance reform, housing affordability, infrastructure planning, and targeted tax relief.

We support:

Targeted relief for seniors on fixed incomes
Help for working families and first-time homebuyers
Protection for renters and lower-income households
Guaranteed recurring replacement funding for local governments
Strong home rule and local control
Transparent county-by-county revenue estimates before any vote
A clear explanation of which services are protected and how they will be funded

Tax relief should help people who truly need it without creating a massive local funding hole or shifting the burden onto people with fewer resources.

Questions Every St. Johns County Voter Should Ask

How much recurring revenue would St. Johns County lose?
What is the guaranteed permanent replacement?
Who controls the replacement funding: local voters or Tallahassee?
Would roads, fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement, drainage, and infrastructure be protected?
Would renters, seniors, and working families be protected from cost shifts?
Would this lead to higher sales taxes, fees, or special assessments?
How would fast-growing counties pay for infrastructure?
Does this protect home rule or weaken it?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” amendment?

It is a proposed Florida constitutional amendment dealing with homestead property taxes, assessment limits, and local ad valorem tax revenue. Supporters describe it as property tax relief for homeowners. Critics warn that it could reduce local revenue used for essential county and municipal services.

Does Indivisible SJC oppose all property tax relief?

No. We support targeted tax relief for people who truly need it, including seniors on fixed incomes, working families, and people struggling to stay in their homes. Our concern is with broad tax cuts that remove local revenue without a guaranteed replacement plan.

Why does this matter for St. Johns County?

St. Johns County is growing rapidly. Local government still has to fund roads, traffic infrastructure, drainage, fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement, parks, libraries, and basic services. If recurring local revenue is removed, the county must either replace it, cut services, raise fees, delay projects, or depend more on the state.

Would this help renters?

Renters do not receive the homestead exemption directly. If local governments replace lost revenue with sales taxes, fees, assessments, or service cuts, renters and lower-income households may still bear part of the cost.

Why is home rule part of this issue?

Home rule means local communities have meaningful control over local decisions. If the state cuts local revenue and then controls replacement funding, local governments may have to rely on Tallahassee to fund basic local needs. That shifts power away from local voters and local officials.

What is the main question voters should ask?

What permanently replaces the lost local revenue?

Until that question is answered clearly, voters should be cautious.

Key Resources

Bottom Line

Property tax relief should be targeted, responsible, and fair.

Florida should help seniors, working families, and first-time homebuyers without shifting costs onto renters, lower-income households, or local communities.

Before supporting the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” amendment, ask one simple question:

What permanently replaces the lost local revenue?