Clearwater, Florida

Florida voters have less than two weeks to decide on Amendment 3, which would raise the state's homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 by 2027 and $250,000 by 2028. Homeowners would need at least five years of ownership to qualify for the reduced tax bill. A Florida Policy Institute report estimates eligible homeowners would save $13.7 billion combined in the first two years. Local officials, including Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and leaders in Clearwater and Pinellas County, have raised concerns about lost revenue and potential cuts to city and county services, while Gov. Ron DeSantis has voiced support. The measure needs 60% approval to pass and would take effect in January.

The Clearwater City Council spent hours Thursday debating a citizen petition seeking to repeal a June ordinance affecting South Garden Avenue, a downtown road tied to the Church of Scientology. The group behind the effort, Save the Garden, says more than 10,000 residents signed the petition, arguing the city has repeatedly ceded public streets to Scientology without resident input.

City Attorney Owen Kohler warned the council that the referendum could conflict with state law barring initiative or referendum action on development orders, opening the city and Save the Garden to potential litigation from Scientology. Options discussed included seeking a Florida Attorney General opinion, filing a declaratory judgment, or letting voters decide if the council declines to repeal the ordinance. Council members disagreed on whether to involve the attorney general again. They voted unanimously to have the Supervisor of Elections verify the petition signatures before any further action, leaving the ordinance's fate and the referendum's legality unresolved.

Florida lawmakers closed their final budget commission meeting before the midterms with forecasts showing a $7.1 billion surplus next year, a sharp turnaround after two sessions of tightened spending. State Senator Ed Hooper (R-Clearwater), a lead budget negotiator, called it a win for the legislature.

Scrutiny is falling on the state's Emergency Preparedness and Response trust fund, which began the fiscal year with $87 million and is now projected to end with just $6.4 million after covering hurricane response and immigration enforcement, including operations like Alligator Alcatraz. A worst-case scenario could leave the fund $1.5 billion in deficit if multiple major storms hit. Lawmakers approved $240 million in additional support, and Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman criticized the use of emergency funds for immigration enforcement. Officials say billions in federal reimbursements remain outstanding. New Division of Emergency Management head Jared Perdue, on the job less than three weeks, declined to detail current fund balances. Hooper expects immigration-related spending to face heightened legislative scrutiny once new state leadership takes office.