Florida’s Amendment 3 on the 2026 General Election Ballot

Amendment 3 will be on the ballot for all registered voters in Florida. The proposed amendment includes changes to homestead exemptions, non-homestead property assessments, residency requirements, and the use of local ad valorem tax revenue. These changes could have implications for Florida businesses, renters, homeowners, and local communities. It must be approved by at least 60% of voters.

We believe that understanding how Amendment 3’s provisions interact with Florida’s existing property tax system, and our state’s broader tax system and long-term economic needs, is important for businesses, communities, and residents across the state.

Know the Facts

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has prepared comprehensive information about the amendment and Florida’s property tax system, which can be found using this link.

Manatee Chamber Amendment 3 Task Force

The Manatee Chamber created a task force to carefully study the amendment. Members include past Chairs of the Board, current Board members, committee chairs, and committee members. Over the past several months, we heard from our Sheriff, local fire departments/districts, mayors, representatives of County government, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

After extensive review, we believe Amendment 3 is an overly broad proposal with too many unanswered questions, will result in a tax shift primarily to businesses, and has the potential for significant unintended consequences. If enshrined in Florida’s constitution, possible negative impacts will be extraordinarily difficult to address. It is the wrong answer to the right questions on how, as a state, we can address important affordability issues.

POSITION: Manatee Chamber Opposes Amendment 3

While Florida’s property tax system deserves thoughtful study and strategic modification, and residents need meaningful affordability relief, Amendment 3 is an overly broad constitutional proposal with a long list of possible unintended consequences.

Passage of Amendment 3 risks shifting tax burdens onto businesses, undermining essential public services and community investments, reducing local government revenues without limiting the costs of providing services, and limiting local control among counties and cities with very diverse profiles and needs – all without providing clear or substantial relief for the cost-of-living challenges it is intended to address.  As such, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce opposes Amendment 3.

The Manatee Chamber supports property tax reform that is thoroughly researched, carefully crafted, transparent about who benefits and who pays, protective of critical services and communities’ quality of life priorities, and strategic in offering a long-term structure that benefits residents and businesses.

We believe this amendment is the wrong answer, as it leaves too many unanswered questions and possible negative impacts, all of which would be extraordinarily difficult to address if added to Florida’s constitution.

Our concerns are shared by a growing list of organizations across the state, including many representing public safety, emergency services, and businesses. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Florida legislature to comprehensively study property tax reform, including through Florida’s Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which convenes in 2027. This process provides an opportunity to consider property tax reform within the context of Florida’s broader tax system and our state’s long-term economic needs.

The Manatee Chamber will remain highly engaged on this issue and represent the voice of our members – more than 2,000 local businesses and non-profit employers with a workforce of more than 70,000 in the greater Manatee County region.