The Seminole City Council voted Wednesday to remove links and position statements from a city webpage about Amendment 3 after a state lawmaker warned the page crossed a legal line.

The page grew out of a July 15 “City Alert” on the city’s website directing residents to seven links about the November property tax measure. Six of them advocated against the amendment, according to local reports. The seventh was a Pinellas County spreadsheet projecting negative impacts. One linked article called the proposal a “Trojan horse.”

State Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Pinellas, sent a letter to city leaders arguing that Florida law bars local governments from using public funds to communicate with voters about an issue or amendment on the ballot. He said the question is not whether a city may share information, but whether it may use official channels to push voters toward one side. Jacques said he personally supports Amendment 3 but that his view does not change what the law requires. His letter gave the city until Wednesday to make changes.

At the special meeting, Vice Mayor Chris Burke acknowledged the content was “slightly slanted” and could leave a reader inclined to vote no. The council then voted to remove the material. City officials said the page had drawn 407 unique visitors.

According to 10 Tampa Bay News, a review of Pinellas County city websites found no other page that appeared to urge a position on the amendment. Tarpon Springs, for example, lists articles on both sides.

City leaders have been open about their concerns. Seminole officials expect to lose about $1.31 million in property tax revenue in the first year if the amendment passes, and Mayor Leslie Waters has said property taxes fuel city government. Officials can make those arguments as individuals. The council’s vote leaves open whether a city’s own communications should carry them.

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