Amendment 3 will bankrupt Florida’s rural communities
Chris Doolin
Florida’s rural counties are special places. They are farming communities, growing and raising the food we eat. They are the places where Friday night lights beam down on hometown football games. They are tight-knit places where friends bring a casserole when a neighbor needs a helping hand.
Those are good things about rural Florida.
But economically, most of these counties struggle. For many counties, public safety is their single largest budget item, with budget resources derived from property taxes. Year to year, most of these counties struggle just to keep the lights on.
On Nov. 3, it could become even worse for counties if voters approve Amendment 3 on property taxes. That’s because property taxes are the single largest revenue source that counties receive and from which they pay for important services such as public safety, fire rescue, emergency medical services and disaster recovery.
Without these resources, residents in Florida’s rural communities will experience critical cuts to public safety services, or they’ll see a tax shift, shifting the burden of paying for these essential services onto renters, small-business owners and other property owners. You will pay more while they pay less.
Your decision on Amendment 3 will be one of the most consequential decisions for the future of Florida’s local communities. There is no question that people are struggling with affordability. However, if Amendment 3 passes, it’s entirely possible some rural communities will go bankrupt.
Because public safety is on the line, many organizations are opposing Amendment 3. Those include the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association, Florida Professional Firefighters, Florida Police Benevolent Association, Florida Rural Economic Development Association, Florida Recreation and Park Association, 1,000 Friends of Florida and others.
As a lifelong Floridian and an advocate for Florida’s rural communities, I encourage you to vote no on Amendment 3. It’s one of the most consequential decisions voters will make about the very viability of Florida’s special rural counties.