A Leon County circuit judge has ordered Florida officials to rewrite the ballot title and summary for Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand property tax relief for homeowners and limit future tax increases on many other properties.

Judge David Frank ruled that the current ballot language does not meet Florida’s legal standard requiring ballot summaries to be clear and impartial. He concluded that portions of the wording could be viewed as persuasive rather than neutral, requiring the language to be revised before the proposal can appear on the November ballot.

If approved by voters, Amendment 3 would increase Florida’s homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. The amendment would also reduce the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%. School taxes would not be affected by the expanded homestead exemption.

The amendment also exempts several core and critical services from cuts, including, but not limited to: public safety (law enforcement, fire services, and emergency medical services), education and public schools, infrastructure (road/bridge construction, maintenance, and stormwater control), and natural resource projects (including flood control).

Supporters of the amendment say the changes would provide meaningful property tax relief for Florida homeowners who have faced rapidly rising home values, insurance costs, and overall living expenses. They argue the proposal would allow more residents to keep money in their own budgets rather than paying higher local taxes.

The lawsuit challenging the ballot language argued that the title and summary did not fairly describe the amendment’s effects. Judge Frank agreed that the wording should be rewritten but did not block the amendment itself from moving forward if legally compliant language is adopted.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has 10 days to submit revised ballot language, although the ruling may also be appealed. Uthmeier said he continues to support the amendment and believes Floridians deserve property tax relief.

Amendment 3 must receive at least 60% voter approval in November to become part of the Florida Constitution. If that threshold is met, the measure would deliver one of the largest property tax relief expansions in recent Florida history while limiting future assessment increases on many non-homestead properties.

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