TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Three state constitution amendments will be on the ballot in November and voters will get the final say as to what is amended.
The first of the three amendments would allow the state legislature to ban the reassessment of property value if a homeowner chooses to elevate their home.
“This is for homeowners to make a decision and not wait for a flood.” said Florida Rep. Linda Chaney.
The amendment would allow homeowners to raise their home while maintaining the same property value.
“This is supposed to make our communities more resilient. This is supposed to do what we can to help hold down flood insurance rates. To make sure that the intent of the bill was achieved, we put some guardrails around it.” Chaney said.
One of those guardrails would only allow properties to profit from the amendment if they have nine units or less.
“You’ve already been hit once by a storm. You shouldn’t be hit by the tax ban on the back end, as part of rebuilding your home too,” State Senator Jeff Brandes said.
Next up on the ballot is the future of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). Florida is currently the only state with a constitution revision commission. CRC meets every 20 years and if it is not abolished it would meet in 2037.
“This unelected group gets to make decisions about what goes on the ballot directly and form by which they go on the ballot directly. To me, this is essentially a superpower for this organization that shouldn’t exist.” Brandes said.
The third and final amendment would provide certain public service workers with an additional homestead tax exemption of up to $50,000.
“I don’t think that us putting another homestead exemption on the ballot alleviates or helps with the situation that we’re currently facing. I am of the belief that the priority at this point should be to figure out how we can get police and firefighters and teachers into a home, whether it be first-time homebuyers, whatever it be, we need to figure out how to get them into homes.” stated the only state senator to vote against the amendment, Bobby Powell.
In the last election, Florida voters struck down only two of the six proposed amendments. As for the chances of these three amendments, we’ll see when voters head to the polls in November.