WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Tania Rogers breaks down each of Florida's three constitutional amendment questions on the November ballot to help voters cast their ballots with confidence.
Amendment 1:Limitation on the Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes
Amendment 1 deals with two issues that Floridians have heard a lot about this year – storms and home values.
Currently, many home improvement projects increase the value of a home, meaning the owner pays more in property taxes.
If Amendment 1 is approved, lawmakers could pass laws so that improvement projects to help protect homes from flood damage would not raise a home's assessed value.
Supporters of the amendment claim it allows homeowners to protect their property from sea level rise without paying higher property taxes.
Some who oppose the amendment argue the language is overly broad and doesn't clearly define what home improvements would be included, possibly opening the door for abuse.
Amendment 2:Abolishing the Constitutional Revision Commission
Amendment 2 would abolish the state's Constitutional Revision Commission.
The 37-member commission currently meets every 20 years to recommend changes to the state's constitution.
The group gathered last in 2018, placing eight amendments on the ballot.
Some in favor of abolishing the commission argue the group is too partisan and that they often bundle multiple issues into a single, hard-to-understand ballot question.
Opponents argue it takes away one of only five ways for citizens to get amendments on the ballot. They also claim it's unnecessary right now since the commission isn't scheduled to meet again until 2037.
Amendment 3:Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Services Workflow
Amendment 3 would provide an additional homestead property tax exemption for critical public service workers.
The Florida Legislature could grant an additional $50,000 in homestead exemptions for teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, active duty members of the U.S. armed forces and Florida National Guard, and a few others.
It would cost local governments about $80-90 million in lost tax revenue.
Supporters claim it's another way for Florida to show support for critical public servants and would help attract employees in those critical fields, especially when housing prices are a big concern for many.
Opponents argue it wouldn't help critical workers who rent their homes. They also argue county property appraisers would have to process tens of thousands of new applications.
DECISION 2022: Understanding county referendum questions
All constitutional amendments require 60% approval from voters to pass.
