With limited home Wi-Fi access, Katherine Ruiz walks to the Miami-Dade Public Library\u2019s main branch four to five times per week to use the internet.<\/p>\n
The 49-year-old Miami resident said she takes advantage of not only the Wi-Fi, but also the books and activities offered there. She\u2019s taken CPR classes that might have cost up to $100 were it not for the library\u2019s free programming.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt helps me, because I don’t have to pay,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes Blue Cross, they’re more expensive, or the college sometimes, too, the classes are more expensive. So I like to look at what they have here and what they offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, library advocates warn that services like the ones Ruiz enjoys are under threat. Miami-Dade libraries could face a $20 million loss under the property tax referendum facing Florida voters this November, according to<\/a> the group Keep Libraries Funded.<\/p>\n The new coalition launched a website last week, which it\u2019s using to highlight county-by-county impacts. It was spearheaded by Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library members who then reached out to other systems across the state.<\/p>\n In Miami-Dade, the coalition says the measure could cause branch closures, fewer hours, employee layoffs and program cuts.<\/p>\n As the largest public library system in the state, Miami-Dade leads the charge in voter education, said Ava Habif, the executive director of Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library and a Keep Libraries Funded coordinator. Nearly two in three<\/a> Miami-Dade residents have library cards, a higher percentage than the state average.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s just a mathematical impossibility to run the incredible 50-branch library system at the level that it’s at without the level of funding that it’s currently receiving through property tax,\u201d Habif said.<\/p>\n Amendment 3 proposes tripling the state\u2019s homestead tax exemption, meaning homeowners wouldn\u2019t have to pay taxes on the first $150,000 of their house\u2019s assessed value. The measure needs at least 60% voter approval to pass.<\/p>\n The amendment would cut $45 billion in local property taxes over five years, according to Florida TaxWatch<\/a>, an independent government watchdog group that recently came out in opposition to Amendment 3. It would cause a nearly $5 billion<\/a> cut in the first year it goes into effect.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Amendment 3 ballot title, summary language, don\u2019t pass muster, judge rules<\/a><\/p>\n Florida sheriffs and firefighters have made headlines for criticizing the proposal. But public libraries will also see effects. About 91% of the Miami-Dade system\u2019s 2025-26 operating budget<\/a> came from assessed-value taxes, the most common of which are property taxes.<\/p>\n The Miami-Dade library system had a $124 million operating budget last fiscal year, meaning the projected $20 million reduction would be equivalent to a cut of around 16%. <\/p>\n Habif said that would touch all aspects of services the library system offers, and its users.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve been to a lot of libraries in Miami Dade County, and I have yet to walk into one that did not have people in it,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are people in them all of the hours that they are being used.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the cut likely wouldn’t affect a new library in the works<\/a> in Key Biscayne, it could threaten future expansions. Some areas have boomed in population but still don\u2019t have libraries \u2014 for example, in some southern parts of the county and in the Brickell area.<\/p>\n Miami-Dade already operates with less local funds, relative to the population of its service area, than any other large library systems in the state. It took in about $39 in local income per person served in 2023-24.<\/p>\n As the \u201cfabric of the community,\u201d Miami-Dade branches provide technology like desktop computers, laptops and Wi-Fi, Habif noted. About one-fourth of Miami-Dade residents have no broadband internet subscription, according to the American Community Survey.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it will have a major impact,\u201d said library user Diana Gregory, 42, of the proposed funding cuts. \u201cI really love the concept of a library \u2026 if I can save on books, I\u2019m happy to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n Gregory\u2019s 8-year-old son is an avid reader, and she walks to the main library branch about once per month to select books for him to read, she said. She also takes advantage of the Museum Pass Program that offers families free trips to attractions like zoos, parks and galleries.<\/p>\n The Miami-Dade system saw about 3.6 million total visits, including over 660,000 electronic users, in the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to the most recently available data<\/a>. The number dropped off sharply in 2020 but has slowly climbed upward ever since, though annual visits still haven\u2019t returned to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n Amendment 3 advocates call for taxpayer relief<\/p>\n While some worry about community effects of library closures, others praise Amendment 3 for helping Floridians buy, own and afford their homes. Florida Realtors Association has launched its own \u201cVote Yes On 3\u201d website calling on voters to \u201cput a stop to skyrocketing property taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n The median real estate taxes paid by Florida homeowners rose 73% from 2015 to 2024, the latest available data from the American Community Survey. That\u2019s a faster increase than the U.S. average of 42%, although Florida’s median is still lower than the nationwide one.<\/p>\n Although Miami-Dade\u2019s millage rate has not increased in recent years, other factors can cause tax bills to rise. For example, a property\u2019s taxable value might increase due to market changes like inflation.<\/p>\n