Florida's Amendment 3 has prompted discussion among Gulf Coast county officials, fire service leaders, and local government administrators about its potential effects on property tax revenue and emergency services funding. Leaders in Lee, Collier, and other counties are weighing projected revenue losses and considering contingency measures to sustain public safety operations.
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Fire departments, EMS units, and other first-responder agencies along the Gulf Coast draw a substantial portion of their operating budgets from property tax revenue collected at the local level. Passage of Amendment 3 would leave local governments facing the task of closing any resulting funding shortfalls.
Wayne Bernoska, who leads the Florida Professional Firefighters organization, told those gathered that a common misunderstanding surrounds Amendment 3 — namely, that the measure offers protections for public safety funding. He pushed back on the claim, saying it did not reflect the facts.
Bernoska, whose membership spans more than 32,000 firefighters and paramedics statewide, noted that while Amendment 3 lists public safety among the permitted uses of property tax revenue, that designation does not translate into guaranteed funding for fire services, emergency medical services, or law enforcement — a distinction he urged audiences not to overlook.
Cragin Mosteller, deputy executive director for the Florida Association of Counties, drew attention to the fiscal exposure facing smaller jurisdictions, pointing to Gadsden County — a small county situated just west of Tallahassee with roughly 10,000 homesteaded properties on its tax roll — where projections indicate that Amendment 3's implementation could remove approximately 8,000 of those properties from the roll, a reduction she described as carrying a considerable effect on the county's ability to sustain public safety funding at its present level.
Fort Myers Beach, where homesteaded properties make up a smaller share of the tax base, stands to lose roughly $400,000 in collected revenue during the opening year. The agency's public information officer, Abigail Eberhart, noted that the current year's budget was built around an expectation that the amendment would pass, and that a planned increase in parking revenue had been identified as the mechanism to cover the resulting gap.
Eberhart stated that a parking fee increase was under consideration, and noted that residents of the town had approached her office directly to request support for the amendment. Noting that local governments are barred from taking official positions on ballot measures, Eberhart explained that the role available to them is one of public information — conveying what residents can expect while also acknowledging the financial strain many have raised as a concern.
Lee County commissioners have taken up the question of how proposed property tax reforms might affect the county. Analysts pointed out that any reduction in property tax bills for some residents would likely be offset by higher local assessments or new user fees tied to emergency services funding.
Ruane, speaking as commissioner, laid out how different funding levels could affect emergency response, noting that residents should be aware that 911 dispatch times under certain scenarios might stretch from roughly two minutes to seven minutes or beyond. The Florida Association of Counties has projected that Lee County stands to forfeit more than $78 million in property tax revenue within the first year of the amendment taking effect, while a local commissioner noted a desire to avoid a scenario where delayed emergency response contributes to a loss of life.
FAC projections put the funding decrease for Collier County at approximately $36 million. Collier County Commission Chair Dan Kowal pointed to the budget pressures fire districts across the county may need to navigate, noting that equipment could be stretched beyond its typical service window and kept operational through stopgap repairs rather than full replacement.
Kowal indicated that whether a yearly pay increase — the kind routinely extended to staff — would be part of the budget package remained an open question, and said such an increase was unlikely. Kowal also raised consolidation as one avenue worth exploring, noting that pressure from Tallahassee appeared to be moving in that direction, while he and Vice Chair Bill McDaniel Jr. both underlined that public safety would remain the governing concern — with McDaniel adding that how available tax revenue gets allocated would ultimately determine what becomes possible.
Ahead of the vote's outcome, Bernoska urged Florida residents through a written statement to weigh the amendment thoughtfully, pointing out that the places people settle, build lives, and raise families form the foundation of any community. Those carrying mortgages, insurance premiums, and property tax obligations do so on the same terms as any other homeowner.
He urged residents of Florida to take a close look at Amendment 3, according to the statement.