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Gov. Ron DeSantis announces his proposal to provide property tax relief in Tampa on May 27, 2026 Credit: Mitch Perry\/Florida Phoenix<\/p>\nGov. Ron DeSantis announces his proposal to provide property tax relief in Tampa on May 27, 2026 Credit: Mitch Perry\/Florida Phoenix<\/p>\n
A week after the Florida Legislature placed a constitutional amendment aimed at reducing homestead property taxes on the statewide ballot, a nonprofit group has filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration that the ballot language is \u201cunconstitutionally biased, misleading and inaccurate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The action also asks the court to direct Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to redraft the language before it goes to the voters in November.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County by Save Our Voters, a not-for-profit social welfare group, and two South Florida residents. The attorney filing the lawsuit is Jamie Cole of Broward County, who successfully challenged a property tax proposal constitutional amendment that the Legislature had\u00a0originally put on the ballot in 2007.<\/a><\/p>\n The Legislature approved\u00a0a ballot measure<\/a>\u00a0last week that would increase the homestead exemption for non-school ad valorem taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and up to $250,000 by 2028. It needs 60% support from the public in November to become state law.<\/p>\n The lawsuit doesn\u2019t address the policy proposed, instead taking aim at the\u00a0ballot summary<\/a>\u00a0language the voters will see, which is labeled, \u201cSAVE OUR HOMES FROM EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAXES.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is not a neutral description of the amendment\u2019s chief purpose, it is a campaign statement,\u201d the lawsuit alleges. \u201cMoreover, the ballot summary does not merely describe the Proposed Constitutional Amendment \u2014 it endorses it. The ballot summary expressly tells voters that the amendment \u2018benefits Florida taxpayers.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWhether the amendment benefits taxpayers is the central policy question voters are being asked to decide,\u201d the suit continues. \u201cThe ballot summary then sets forth three political taglines \u2013 \u2018ensuring funding for core services,\u2019 \u2018protecting small businesses\u2019 and \u2018ensuring fairness for Florida residents\u2019 \u2014 giving reasons why voters should vote for the proposal. But the purpose of a ballot summary is to explain what an amendment does, not to advocate for its adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n Similar criticisms that the ballot language was biased in favor of the amendment were made on the Senate floor last week by Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claims the ballot summary misleadingly suggests the measure if passed would \u201cexempt the first $250,000 of a homestead\u2019s value from taxation,\u201d when the bill itself says it would exempt only the first $150,000 of value for the first year following adoption.<\/p>\n \u201cThe $250,000 exemption would take effect for calendar year 2028,\u201d the lawsuit says. \u201cNo mention of this delayed implementation is mentioned in the ballot summary.\u201d<\/p>\n The two plaintiffs listed in the case are Thomas F. Campenni, a former mayor and city commissioner from Stuart, and Michael W. Daley, a former city council member and mayor of Key Biscayne.<\/p>\n Attorney Cole was on the winning side in a similar legal challenge against a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes in\u00a02008.<\/a>\u00a0He is also the attorney of record representing more than a dozen local governments in the legal challenge to\u00a0SB 180,<\/a>\u00a0which placed limits on local land-use regulations.<\/p>\n Florida Phoenix<\/a> is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n