North Tampa (neighborhood)

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is urging voters to be well informed before deciding on Florida's Amendment 3, which would raise the state's homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 by 2027 and $250,000 by 2028, with a path toward eventual full elimination. The measure needs a 60% supermajority to pass and would take effect January 1, 2027.

Speaking at a groundbreaking for a North Tampa fire station, Castor said property taxes fund the bulk of Tampa Fire Rescue, the Tampa Police Department, parks, roads, and other services in a state with no income tax, and that cuts would directly reduce those services. Supporters, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republicans, argue the amendment offers relief from high property tax burdens. Critics, including much of Florida's law enforcement leadership and the Florida Policy Institute, warn it could damage funding for first responders, road maintenance, sanitation, and public hospitals. DeSantis has said the state could issue grants from its surplus to help affected communities offset lost revenue.