As voters prepare to decide the issue in November, the City of Fort Lauderdale is using social media to show residents how their property tax dollars are spent and what could happen if the proposed constitutional amendment passes.
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The city has launched a social media campaign featuring employees and departments that provide services to residents.
In one video, the city introduces Marie Joseph, Fort Lauderdale’s homeless initiative coordinator. Other videos highlight employees responsible for maintaining parks and city facilities.
The message accompanying the campaign is straightforward: Property taxes help support many of the services residents use every day and the employees who provide them.
Fort Lauderdale also directs residents to its Spotlight FTL website, where they can review information about how the city collects and spends property tax revenue.
The educational effort comes as Florida voters prepare to consider Amendment 3, which would increase the state’s homestead exemption.
If approved, the amendment would raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Supporters say the change could provide additional tax relief to homeowners.
However, because cities and counties rely on property taxes to fund local government services, a larger homestead exemption could reduce the amount of taxable property and lead to lower revenue.
Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen said the city estimates Amendment 3 could have a $17 million impact on city revenue by 2028.
The projected impact could grow to an additional $27 million in 2029.
“And just specifically, if Amendment 3 passes, this would have about a $17 million revenue impact on the City of Fort Lauderdale,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen said the city wants residents to understand how local government is funded before they cast their ballots.
“It’s important that, as a city, we educate our residents to understand how the city spends money, how do we use money, what revenue sources do we have,” he said.
According to Fort Lauderdale’s property tax information, about 48 cents of every dollar in the city’s budget comes from property taxes.
That money helps fund services including parks and recreation, emergency management, and ocean rescue.
The potential impact of Amendment 3, however, would vary significantly from one community to another.
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Cities and counties with a larger number of homesteaded properties could experience greater reductions in property tax revenue.
An analysis by the Florida Association of Counties estimates Broward County could lose approximately $326 million by the second year if Amendment 3 passes.
Miami-Dade County could face an estimated $445 million impact on its budget, according to the analysis.
Some Broward County municipalities could see an even greater percentage of their property tax revenue affected.
An estimate from the Broward County Property Appraiser indicates cities, including Cooper City and Pembroke Pines, could experience reductions of up to 30% in property tax revenue.
In Fort Lauderdale, Sorensen said a reduction in property tax revenue could affect the city’s general fund and potentially influence hiring and other spending decisions.
He said the city is already looking for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
“So, what that’s meant is things like not hiring for positions that are not necessary to the city functioning,” Sorensen said. “It means getting better contractual negotiations through all we do across the city. And it means being the most efficient with the existing services we provide.”
Sorensen said the city is also looking at technology and artificial intelligence as potential tools to help deliver services more efficiently.
While Fort Lauderdale officials are preparing for the possibility of reduced revenue, Sorensen said the city’s primary goal is to make sure residents understand the potential consequences before voting.
“We need to fully educate, support, answer questions, provide the resources for them,” Sorensen said. “So that’s what we’re doing as a city.”
Residents can find information about how property taxes are collected and spent through their county property appraiser’s office. Fort Lauderdale residents can also review a breakdown of city property taxes through the city’s Spotlight FTL website.
Amendment 3 would require approval from more than 60% of Florida voters in the November election. If approved, the changes would begin taking effect in 2027.
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