This November, Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would sharply reduce property taxes on homesteaded homes, offering immediate relief to homeowners but also triggering severe cuts to vital community services and programs. In Miami-Dade County, projections put the revenue loss at about $385.8 million in 2027 and $696.7 million in 2028, with losses expected to grow in the years that follow.
Property taxes account for a significant percentage of Miami-Dade County’s revenue, funding police, fire rescue, parks, libraries and social services that the most vulnerable members of our community rely on. According to a legislative analysis, if the amendment becomes law, local government revenue would be reduced by about $5 billion in the 2027-2028 fiscal year, with losses projected to grow to about $12 billion by fiscal year 2031-2032. That reduction would force cuts to fire and police departments, Jackson Health System, library services, public transit and other essential programs, while also leading to layoffs and leaving more families struggling to make ends meet.
These impacts would disproportionately affect low-income workers and renters, as well as other vulnerable community members, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities, by cutting food assistance, childcare, after-school programs and public health services. They would also increase pressure on small businesses and families through higher commercial rents, while making it harder to get to work, school or a doctor’s appointment as a result of transit route and service-hour cuts that the mayor has already announced.
People who support the amendment point to the short-term financial relief it could provide to homeowners. But the loss of public revenue will not simply get absorbed, it will get balanced through the reduction of services, increased social instability and greater inequality across our communities.
In Miami-Dade, where residents already face high housing costs, climate vulnerability and economic pressure, reducing the capacity of local government to respond to these challenges would have dire consequences. Some have suggested that private philanthropy could help fill the gap, but charitable giving cannot replace the scale, consistency or accountability of public funding.
This amendment is not simply a tax change, it is a defunding of the very lifelines that keep our vulnerable communities afloat, especially during times of hardship. Voters deserve clear, accessible information about both the short-term benefit and the long-term trade-offs. The decision in November will shape the future of Miami-Dade County, and it is critical that residents understand what is at stake.
Katherine Leiva is the executive director of Engage Miami. Zelalem Adefris is the CEO of Catalyst Miami. Both are part of the Divest/Invest Coalition, a group of 120 local organizations focused on making the county budget more racially just.
Katherine Leiva, executive director of Engage Miami.
(Divest/Invest Coalition)
Zelalem Adefris, CEO of Catalyst Miami.
(Divest/Invest Coalition)