Oviedo holds its last Amendment 3 briefing today as mayor warns of deep budget cuts or new fees

Neighboring Oviedo holds the last of three resident information sessions on Amendment 3 at 11 a.m. today at Riverside Recreation Center, 1600 Lockwood Blvd., according to a WKMG News 6 report.

Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot would create a new homestead exemption from non-school property taxes. Homeowners would pay less, while local governments that rely on property tax revenue for basic services would collect less.

Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek told the station the sessions are meant to help voters understand what could follow if the amendment passes. She said the city's response could range from cutting as much as roughly half of its budget to adopting new fees and taxes to restore lost revenue.

Supporters of the amendment argue that local government spending has grown too much and that property taxes put an unfair load on homeowners, the station reported.

Oviedo adopted its current budget last month and kept its property tax rate at 5.6692 mills. Sladek told WKMG that, after inflation, holding the rate flat amounts to something like a 4 to 5 percent reduction in the overall size of city government.

Winter Springs residents looking for their own city's figures can find our earlier explainer on what the amendment could cost Winter Springs at wintersprings.city, along with the county property appraiser's estimates for the city budget.