What Amendment 3 Would Mean for the City Budget, by the County Appraiser's Numbers

Florida voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to expand the homestead exemption, a change the Seminole County Property Appraiser estimates would cost Winter Springs about $6.5 million in revenue over two years.

What the amendment does

Amendment 3, placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature, would raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 on Jan. 1, 2027 and to $250,000 on Jan. 1, 2028, then adjust it for inflation each year, according to the city's referendum information page. The exemption applies to non-school property taxes. The amendment needs at least 60% of the vote to pass.

Supporters describe it as direct property tax relief that lets homeowners keep more of their income.

The local math

Property Appraiser David Johnson gave that estimate to Spectrum News 13 in August. City officials put the effect at 22% of the budget in 2027 and 38% the following year.

Winter Springs is exposed because about 71% of its homes are homesteaded, the highest share in the county. Police, parks and recreation, and community development were among the departments city officials named as facing possible reductions.

Mayor Kevin McCann said the city would need to look elsewhere. "We're going to have to raise other fees," he told Spectrum News 13. "Other sources of income are going to have to make up some of the short losses."

Johnson noted the amendment changes the value being taxed, not the rate. "Nothing happens on the other side of the equation, which is the tax rate," he said.

A resident's view

David Bowen, a 27-year Winter Springs homeowner, told Spectrum News 13 he supports lower property taxes but thinks spending should come first. "This is a slow thing," he said. "It has to be addressed first by spending and then addressed how you take less revenue."

The city has posted figures on its property tax revenue, spending and the amendment's projected effect on its website.

Sources

City of Winter Springs, Property Tax Referendum Information (Aug. 27, 2026)

Spectrum News 13, "Winter Springs weighs Amendment 3 budget impacts if voters approve it" (Aug. 12, 2026)