Early Voting in Leon County runs Monday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m. A list of locations can be found here.
General Election polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6. For more information, visit https://www.leonvotes.org/ or call 606-8683.
At the September 12, 2018 Tallahassee City Commission Meeting, information on the proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution, with attention given to items that would impact local governments, was presented to the City Commission in order for the Commission to officially support or oppose any of the proposed amendments. Below is a summary of the information presented to the City Commission.
Amendment 1 (HJR 7105) – Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption
This proposed amendment made the ballot on May 5, 2017, after the Florida House and Senate both passed HJR 7105 during the 2017 Legislative Session.
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to Section 6 of Article VII and the creation of Section 37 of Article XII of the State Constitution. It would increase the homestead exemption by exempting the assessed valuation of homestead property greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000 for all levies other than school district levies, effective January 1, 2019.
If passed, this would reduce City property tax revenues by several million dollars.
Amendment 1 FAQs
The City of Tallahassee strives to be a good financial steward of citizen's tax dollars. As such, the City has created a Five Year Financial and Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2023. That plan, which is based on historical performance and quarterly analysis, ensures that the City will have the ability to continue delivering core services and supporting priorities of the Commission and our community.
One key issue that Budget Managers are watching closely to see how Amendment 1 will impact the City's budget and five-year plan.
What is Amendment 1?
Amendment 1, which will go before citizens for a state-wide vote in November 2018, proposes increasing the current homestead exemption by $25,000. Ultimately, the measure would provide for a homestead exemption on the portion of home values between $100,000 and $125,000, meaning the $25,000 between $100,000 and $125,000 of a home's value would be exempted from property taxes other than school district taxes. The exemption would only apply to the residential property categories of single family homes, condos or mobile homes. It does not apply to multi-family residential property owners or to the small business/commercial sector.
A "yes" vote for Amendment 1 supports exempting the portion of home values between $100,000 and $125,000 from property taxes other than school taxes, bringing the maximum homestead exemption up to $75,000. If voters approve Amendment 1, the homestead exemption for a home valued at $200,000 would be $75,000.
A "no" vote for Amendment 1 opposes exempting the portion of home values between $100,000 and $125,000 from property taxes other than school taxes, keeping the maximum homestead exemption at $50,000. If voters reject Amendment 1, the homestead exemption for a home valued at $200,000 would remain at $50,000.
How will Amendment 1 impact me and my City?
Roughly, 66.3 percent of Tallahassee homeowners would not receive a financial benefit from Amendment 1, if passed. On average, the savings for approximately 33.7 percent of homeowners would equate to $8.54/month or $102.50 annually. To assess your home's current value which determines if Amendment 1 will impact you, visit the Leon County Property Appraiser's webpage.
City Budget Managers project that the impact of passing Amendment 1 would be approximately $2.03 million in lost revenue to the City of Tallahassee's General Fund, which primarily funds Police and Parks and Recreation services – top funding priorities identified by the community. Budget Managers are considering a variety of options, including cost saving efficiencies, to cover lost revenues if Amendment 1 passes.
Amendment 2 (CS/HJR 21) – Limitations on Property Tax Assessments
This proposed amendment made the ballot on May 8, 2017, after the Florida and Senate passed CS/HJR21 during the 2017 Legislative Session.
The joint resolution proposes an amendment to Section 27 of Article XII of the State Constitution to remove a future repeal of provisions in Section 4 of Article VII that limit the amount of annual increases in assessment, except for school district levies, of specified non-homestead real property, effective January 1, 2019.
Amendment 3 – Voter Control of Gambling in Florida
This amendment ensures that voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling by requiring that in order for casino gambling to be authorized under Florida law, it must be approved by voters pursuant to Article XI, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution.
Amendment 4 – Voting Restoration Amendment
This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. The amendment would not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor and Cabinet vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis.
Amendment 5 – (HJR 7001) – Supermajority Required to Impose, Authorize, of Raise State Taxes or Fees
This proposed amendment made the ballot on March 16, 2018, during the 2018 Legislative Session, after the House and Senate passed HJR7001.
This joint resolution proposes the creation of Section 19 of Article VII of the State Constitution to provide that no state tax or fee may be imposed, authorized or raised by the legislature except through legislation approved by two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature and presented to the governor for approval.
Does not apply to any tax or fee imposed by a county, municipality, school board or special district.
Amendment 6 – Rights of Crime Victims; Judges
This proposed amendment creates constitutional rights for victims of crime; requires courts to facilitate victims' rights; authorizes victims to enforce these rights throughout criminal and juvenile justice processes. This amendment also requires judges and hearing officers to independently interpret statutes and rules rather than deferring to government agency's interpretation. Finally, it raises mandatory retirement ages of judges and state justices from seventy to seventy-five years and deletes authorization to complete judicial term if one-half of term has been served by retirement age.
Amendment 7 – First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities
Grants mandatory payment of death benefits and waiver of certain educational expenses to qualifying survivors of certain first responders and military members who die performing official duties. Requires supermajority votes by university trustees and state university system Board of Governors to raise or impose all legislatively authorized fees if law requires approval by those bodies. Establishes existing state college system as Constitutional entity; provides governance structure.
**As of September 10, 2018, Amendment 7 is subject to a legal challenge and is currently being appealed by the state. **
Amendment 8 – School Board Term Limits and Duties; Public Schools
The Florida Supreme Court has removed Amendment 8 from the November 2018 ballot.
Amendment 9 – Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces
This proposed revision relates to environmental health that would amend Section 7 of Article II of the State Constitution to prohibit the drilling for exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas in specified state waters. It would also amend Section 20 of Article X to establish a general prohibition on the use of vapor-generating electronic devices in enclosed indoor workplaces; permits more restrictive local vapor ordinances.
**As of September 10, 2018, Amendment 9 is subject to a legal challenge and is currently being appealed by the state. **
Amendment 10 – State and Local Government Structure and Operation
This proposed revision relates to state and local government that would amend Section 3 of Article III to provide that the Legislature convene for regular session on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in January for each even-numbered year. It would amend Section 4 of Article IV to establish the Office of Domestic Security and Counterterrorism within the Department of Law enforcement. It would Amend Section 11 of Article IV to require, rather than authorize, the Legislature to provide for the Department of Veterans' Affairs and prescribe its duties by general law and to specify that the head of the department is the Governor and Cabinet. It would also amend Sections 1 and 6 of Article VIII to remove the authority of a county charter or a special law to provide for choosing county officers in a manner other than election, and to prohibit a county charter from abolishing county officers, transferring the duties of an officer, changing terms of officers or establishing any method of selection other than by election.
Amendment 11 – Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes
A proposed revision that would amend Section 2 of Article I to remove a provision authorizing laws that regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship. It would also amend Section 9 of Article X to remove prohibition on the retroactive application of changes in criminal laws to the punishment of previously committed crimes. Finally, it would amend Section 19 of Article X to delete an obsolete provision regarding the development of a high-speed ground transportation system.
**As of September 10, 2018, Amendment 11 is subject to a legal challenge and is being appealed by the state. **
Amendment 12 -- Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers
This proposed revision would amend Section 8 of Article II and Section 13 of Article V to create a new section in Article XII to establish certain restrictions for specified public officers and the judiciary regarding lobbying for compensation of another person or entity before certain government bodies and to prohibit the abuse of a public position by public officers and employees.
Amendment 13 – Ends Dog Racing
This proposed revision relates to ending dog racing which would create new sections in Article X and Article XII to prohibit the racing of, and wagering on, greyhounds and other dogs after December 31, 2020.
Please see here for an analysis of which proposed amendments impact local government, and a summary of the effect of passage or defeating each amendment on the City of Tallahassee.
At the September 12, 2018 Tallahassee City Commission Meeting, Commissioners voted 4-0 (Commissioner Scott Maddox absent) to support Amendments 4,6 and 13; to oppose Amendments 1,5 and 12; and to take no action regarding Amendments 2,3,7,9,10 and 11.
Links to Proposed Amendments