Judge Orders Rewrite to Florida Property-Tax Amendment Ballot Wording

A proposed Florida constitutional amendment that would limit some home property taxes will likely remain on the November ballot, but state officials have just 10 days to tone down the proselytizing language, a judge ordered.

Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank said Monday that the Legislature-approved wording of the ballot measure was more like a political slogan than a clear and neutral statement, as required by law.

“In summary, voters are entitled to a fair, clear, accurate and non-misleading ballot statement to assist them in making their critical determination,” Frank wrote in his order, the Miami Herald and other news sites reported. The judge’s order was not available on the Leon County Clerk of Court website but it was posted online by WUSF public radio and can be seen here.

The trouble starts with the title of the proposed amendment, the judge said. “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” is not neutral. And the summary of the measure, as written by lawmakers earlier this year, does not describe the amendment so much as it endorses it, noting that it will “benefit Florida taxpayers,” reads the lawsuit complaint that led to the judge’s order.

The suit was brought in June by a group known as Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language. It includes two former mayors of Florida cities as well as state Sen. Jeff Brandes, who remains active in Florida political and property insurance issues.

The group argues that the amendment summary claims it would protect small businesses, but nowhere in the actual wording of the amendment are small businesses mentioned or given protection, the complaint notes.

The proposed amendment, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would increase the existing $50,000 tax exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028. A late amendment to the amendment barred cuts to property taxes that go to public schools.

The impact that lower property taxes may have on homeowner insurance purchases is unclear. Some in the industry have suggested it may not lead to higher coverage limits or lower deductibles for many policyholders.

Some local governments and other critics have warned that the amendment would rob cities and counties of vital tax revenue, forcing deep cuts in services and much higher fees on government services.

Judge Frank’s order gives Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier until mid-August to rewrite parts of the ballot measure. Uthmeier’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, news sites reported.

The ruling can be appealed, but state officials have said the ballot wording must be finalized by the end of this month, WUSF explained.

Photo: Uthmeier at a Florida Cabinet meeting in 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Topics Florida Legislation Property