WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — CBS12 News is breaking down the constitutional amendments and county questions that Floridians will be voting on come Election Day.
Constitutional Amendment No. 1:
Constitutional amendment 1 is the limits of the assessment of real property used for residential purposes. We reached out to Marcia Herman from the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, a nonpartisan civic group.
Herman says constitutional amendment 1 is about giving homeowners a tax break when making changes to prevent flood damage to their homes.
"In this respect, the Florida legislature has proposed this change to the Florida constitution. saying if any homeowner chooses to make flood prevention improvements to their home, their property, we will not increase their property taxes," she said. "We will not raise the value of their home due to those changes and they charge them more taxes."
We will not raise the value of their home due to those changes and they charge them more taxes.
Constitutional Amendment No. 2:
Constitutional amendment 2 is about abolishing the Constitution Revision Commission.
Herman explained the commission meets every 20 years to review the state constitution and recommend changes. The 37-member committee is set to meet again in 2037 and would be appointed by whoever is the governor at that time.
Florida is the only state with the commission.
Herman tells CBS12 News the last time the commission met they recommended updating the wording that Floridians then voted on.
Put simply, the question is asking voters if they believe the constitution revision commission should be dissolved.
Constitutional Amendment No. 3:
Constitutional amendment 3 is about an additional homestead property tax exemption for the public service workforce. According to Herman, the proposal is asking voters to decide whether specific workers should get an additional property tax break.
It would apply to teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, paramedics, child welfare workers, active-duty members, and members of the Florida National Guard. This would be on top of the homestead exemption that homeowners, who have a primary residence in Florida, are already eligible for.
"This is just saying, do the voters think that this category of workers deserves an additional $50,000 exemption?" Herman said.
According to the Revenue Estimating Conference, the state would lose upwards of more than $80 million in revenue if the constitutional amendment is approved by voters.