A proposed amendment to Florida’s property tax system is raising questions about how much homeowners could save and what those savings could mean for essential services in Osceola County.
State Sen. Kristen Arrington joined county leaders and residents at a town hall in Kissimmee to discuss the potential effects of Amendment 3, a proposal that would increase the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028.
While the measure could provide significant property tax relief to eligible homeowners, local officials warned that it could also reduce funding for public services, infrastructure improvements and county programs.
“When you ask the question what will be impacted? Everything will be impacted in Osceola County,” said County Commission Chair Brandon Arrington.
County officials estimate Osceola could lose approximately $79 million in revenue if the amendment passes. The potential shortfall could affect the county’s general revenue fund, emergency medical services, libraries and the Save Osceola program.
The county is already taking steps to prepare for possible financial challenges, including reducing $12 million from next year’s budget, implementing hiring freezes and pausing capital projects. Roadway improvements and other county services could also face disruptions.
Brandon Arrington said the county has notified thousands of businesses about potential changes to their contracts.
“We already sent notices to 83,000 vendors that do business with the county letting them know their contracts may be in jeopardy or eliminated,” he said.
State Sen. Kristen Arrington cautioned that reducing property taxes would not eliminate the cost of providing essential government services.
“It sounds great. We would all like to save money, but I would say unfortunately this measure is more of a tax shift,” she said. “At the end of the day, someone will have to pay for essential services.”
The discussion highlighted the potential trade-off between lowering homeowners’ tax bills and maintaining funding for services that residents rely on.
For some attendees, the prospect of reduced services raised concerns.
“I really think this will be detrimental to the community I live in because we really need these services,” said Michael Woods, who attended the meeting.
Others said the town hall helped them better understand the proposal, although they had not yet decided how they would vote.
“It was very educational,” one attendee said.
Asked how she felt about Amendment 3 after the discussion, the woman said she planned to learn more before making a decision.
“I still want to go home and do my own research, but I have a little bit more clarity on it,” she said.
As the general election approaches, Osceola County voters face questions about how proposed property tax savings could affect local government funding and the services their communities depend on.