City officials on Thursday released a wide-ranging list of services that could face reductions if Florida voters approve a constitutional amendment in November to raise homestead exemptions and reduce or eliminate property taxes.
The warning came during the city’s annual State of the Economy event, where leaders outlined the potential local fallout from the statewide ballot measure. Among the programs at risk, according to the city: libraries, senior centers, parks maintenance, homeless shelter contributions, Meals on Wheels, arts funding, youth crime prevention programs, traffic signals, street lighting, planning and zoning services, code inspections, and affordable housing subsidies.
City officials also said residents could see significantly higher fees for community events held at city facilities. Graduation ceremonies and proms for Pinellas County high schools, for example, could cost two to three times more under the scenarios the city is projecting.
Mayor Ken Welch urged voters to reject the amendment.
“Citizens should vote this down,” Welch said. “It will do more harm than good. And if they want real property tax reform in terms of fairness with portability and other issues, we definitely need to do that.”
City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz said the city remains focused on broad economic growth, telling attendees that the state of the local economy “is not only measured by what we build, it is measured by who benefits, who belongs, and who can see a future here.”
Welch said city leaders plan to press forward on housing and economic development regardless of what happens at the ballot box in November.
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