Beware of politicians bearing gifts
The Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office has begun sending out mail ballots, the most popular way to vote here in Southwest Florida.
With the ballots now dropping into voters’ hands, we’re going to climb back onto this election’s hobby horse and unabashedly, unapologetically and emphatically reiterate: Amendment 3 is a hard NO.
Not because we believe essential services — which Amendment 3 prioritizes — will go unfunded.
Not because we believe there will be no money for quality-of-life programs and services for parks, beaches, libraries, social and health services and all of the other things we agree are essential and currently pay property taxes to support.
But because we all know that after all the angst and all the posturing to come, these things ultimately would be funded, probably with new or increased taxes, fees and assessments on property, something Amendment 3 does not address at all.
Amendment 3, in fact, comes cloaked as, perhaps, the greatest urban legend of all time.
It’s a pretty package presented as a gift designed to let tax-beleaguered property owners think we have won a long and hard-fought battle against budgets bloated with projects we don’t want and benefits we don’t receive.
All we have to do is let down our guard, open our gates, and bring it home.
But beware of politicians bearing gifts: This so-called tax reform amendment that would increase the Homestead Exemption for owner-occupied homes from $50,000 to $150,000 next year, and to $250,000 in 2028, purported to cut non-school property taxes by various billions over the next five years is (forgive us) a Trojan house.
It’s certainly a tempting token for something tax-beleaguered property owners have fought for.
But it’s hollow inside.
And it’s filled with a host of issues Floridians, property owners or not, do not want to tender:
First and foremost: Amendment 3 does not guarantee any tax savings.
Let us say this again for those who continue to ask for a reason to vote against Amendment 3: The constitutional amendment would increase exemptions but carries no mandate that expenses be cut or capped to ensure that property owners — including those who are homesteaded — will receive lower tax bills or pay less in taxes overall.
Florida TaxWatch, a conservative watchdog long known for it annual “Budget Turkey Watch,” has come out as a “NO” on Amendment 3.
TaxWatch sums it up succinctly, stating, in part, that … “If guardrails are not put in place to curb local government spending, any reduction in homestead property tax revenue will simply be passed on to non-homestead property owners or replaced with other taxes, fees and assessments.”
For property owners especially, the emphasis is on “other taxes, fees and assessments.”
Taxpayers in Cape Coral learned how that works with the city’s Fire Services Assessment, a “recovery” tax now at 81% of whatever departmental operating budget city council opts to approve. With the possibility of Amendment 3 passing, officials have already eyeballed a recovery rate of 100%.
Imagine new “cost-of-recovery” assessments for police. For parks. For libraries. And more.
We guarantee city and county officials already have.
Let us point out again that taxes-on-property called fees and assessments do not have the caps on annual increases as do the property taxes Amendment 3 seeks to eliminate. Nor are there exemptions mitigating levies for owner-occupied homes, disabled veterans or seniors. They, and owners of lower-priced properties, do not get a price break. Everyone pays the full tab — whatever that may be.
Which brings us to the next point:
Amendment 3 lacks an enabling plan. It leaves the details of implementation — what Florida TaxWatch calls guardrails — to the State Legislature which will do … what, exactly?
Not prohibit replacement dollars, that’s for sure — cities, towns and counties have lobbyists and our money to pay them.
Taxpayers, though, can preclude the post-election machinations.
We can make our voices heard.
If we want tax reform — real tax reform — we can reject this nice-try effort and demand it.
Vote NO on Amendment 3.
— Eagle editorial