A Winter Springs commissioner wants the city to take a closer look at what its budget could look like if it no longer paid for police and parks, a question being raised as local governments prepare for the possible financial impact of Amendment 3.

Commissioner Paul Diaz last week asked for a formal cost comparison involving the combined $13.5 million the city spends on police and parks.

Diaz said the review could help city leaders understand potential cost-saving options if voters approve the amendment.

“I’d like to see a comparison between basically half of our budget, which at this point is police and parks,” Diaz said. “I’d like to see that budget side by side with what it would be to offset that by not having on the city’s balance sheet.”

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The request led to questions from the mayor during the meeting about whether the city was considering eliminating services.

“So what you’re asking us to do is to get rid of the police department and the parks?” Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann asked.

A response during the discussion clarified the request as exploring how much it would cost if the city’s police services were handled through Seminole County.

The discussion comes as cities and counties continue to assess how Amendment 3 could affect local revenue. In Seminole County, officials have said the county could lose upward of 20% of its tax revenue if the amendment passes.

At a recent Amendment 3 panel discussion with News 6, some participants said the full impact of possible cost-saving measures remains unclear.

“We’re putting the cart before the horse here, and we don’t actually know,” said Caroline Melear, policy director of finance and insurance at R Street. “Even the property appraisers who would know it better than anyone, we just aren’t sure.”

Melear said she supports reducing property taxes but questioned whether the amendment is the right approach.

“I want to see property taxes reduced. Absolutely. I’m a property owner. I have a personal stake in it,” she said. “But I think that we’re not necessarily going about it the right way here.”

Voters will decide on Amendment 3 at the polls in less than a month.

Winter Springs officials said the cost comparison is expected to come up again at city meetings next week and at the end of the month.