In Florida and throughout the nation, voters heading to the polls on or before Nov. 6 will be voting in one of the most anticipated midterm elections in recent memory. Races for governor, senator and other offices promise to be the most closely watched, but several measures further down the ballot could have a direct impact on Florida homeowners if passed.
That includes a record number of proposed amendments to the state’s constitution, with 12 different issues being brought to a vote in Florida. According to an overview of each of the proposals organized by The Miami Herald, at least two of the amendments deal directly with laws related to homeownership. Any amendment brought to a vote in Florida must garner at least 60 percent of the vote to be enshrined in the state constitution.
Amendment 1 is first on the list, and would affect homeowners by increasing the assessed home value that may be exempted from non-school property taxes. If passed, Amendment 1 would raise that threshold from $50,000 to $75,000 and earn Florida homeowners a sizable tax break. On the other hand, this amendment would reduce municipal revenue by around $645 million in its first year, which could put a strain on local government.
Amendment 2 relates to a smaller segment of homeowners, as it concerns only property taxes on “non-homestead real property,” or homes where the owner is not the primary resident. If passed, Amendment 2 would permanently enshrine a 2008 law that limits non-homestead tax assessment increases to no more than 10 percent of the previous year’s assessed value. This law has been in effect since 2008 and is scheduled to be repealed in 2019 unless the amendment passes.
Other amendments on the docket are only loosely tied to private property laws, if at all. Amendment 5 would require a two-thirds majority vote in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Senate to pass any law that would raise state taxes or fees. And Amendment 11, actually a bundle of three different proposals, would revise the Florida Constitution to remove language that could prevent “aliens ineligible for citizenship” from legally owning property. However, a case pending in appeals court would strike that amendment from the ballot if finalized by Election Day.
The rest of the amendments on the ballot involve a variety of laws related to gambling, local government structure and voting rights for convicted felons, among others.