Gov. Ron DeSantis said a rewrite is already underway as the state won’t appeal a Leon County judge’s ruling against the title and ballot summary language in a property tax cut referendum legislators put before voters in November.
The measure will go on the ballot as Amendment 3.
“I’ve actually seen some of the draft. It’s a great draft. It’s going to be very clear for voters what’s on there,” DeSantis said during an event in Lehigh Acres on Thursday.
“It’s going to be a very good summary, very straightforward,” DeSantis added. “People are going to know they’re going to get tax relief.”
DeSantis also said he and Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is overseeing the rewrite, didn’t “necessarily agree” with Leon Circuit Court Judge David Frank, who on Monday ordered the title and ballot summary to be redrafted because the language contained political rhetoric and was misleading.
“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 18-page ruling. “The present ballot language would deprive the voters of the opportunity to make a meaningful decision."
The lawsuit was brought by three groups opposed to the amendment.
“This is a shell game,” Delray Beach Democratic Rep. Rob Long said in a teleconference with reporters. “The governor is going to blow a hole in your city or county’s budget and then blame the city or county for trying to patch it up. He gets to walk away with a political headline, while the local officials, police officers, firefighters and residents are all left dealing with the aftermath.”
Amendment 3 calls for the non-school homestead exemption to be increased from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and raises it to $250,000 in 2028. Another provision reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.