Amendment 3 is on your November 3 ballot. Here is what it would change for Indian River County homeowners.

If you own a home in Vero Beach or anywhere in Indian River County, one item on your November 3 ballot is about your property tax bill. Amendment 3 would change Florida's homestead exemption and the cap on how fast the taxable value of other property can rise.

This article sticks to the facts: what the amendment says, what the county has estimated, and where to ask questions. It does not tell you how to vote. That part is yours.

What Amendment 3 would change

Amendment 3 is a proposed change to the Florida Constitution. It needs at least 60% of the statewide vote to pass. If it passes, it would take effect January 1, 2027.

• Homestead owners: the exemption on non-school property taxes would rise from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028. After that, the amount would be adjusted for inflation.
• School taxes are not part of the increase. The school district's share of your bill would work as it does today.
• Rentals, second homes and commercial property: the yearly cap on increases in assessed value would drop from 10% to 5%.
• New Florida homeowners would get the existing exemption once they qualify for homestead, but the larger exemption would not apply until their fifth year of claiming it.
• Local governments could choose to raise the homestead exemption even further, up to a home's full assessed value, under a process the Legislature would set up.
• Property tax money that remains would be limited to listed uses, including public safety, schools, infrastructure, natural resources, debt payments, retirement benefits and operations.

The wording you will see on the ballot was rewritten this summer. In August, a Leon County circuit judge ruled that the original title, "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes," read like a political slogan. The Attorney General's office released new language with the title "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments."

What it could mean for county services

Your homestead exemption lowers the taxable value of your home. A larger exemption means a smaller bill for the county, city and other non-school taxes. It also means less money coming in to the governments that collect those taxes.

Indian River County staff estimate the county would collect about $22 million less in property taxes in fiscal 2027-28, and about $41 million less the year after. No service cuts tied to the amendment have been adopted. Statewide, the Revenue Estimating Conference puts the cost at about $12 billion a year once it is fully in place.

County staff say they will separate what is known from what is not, and preliminary estimates from decisions that have not been made. The forums cover public safety, roads, parks, libraries, Veterans Services and other services that property taxes help pay for.

Hear it from the county: the October 14 forum

Commission Chair Deryl Loar and County Administrator John A. Titkanich Jr. are leading two forums with the same presentation. The first was October 9 at the Intergenerational Recreation Center. The second is Wednesday, October 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Indian River County Fairgrounds, 7955 58th Ave. Residents can ask questions.

The county encourages registering ahead of time at indianriver.gov/A3. If you cannot make it, the county posted its earlier, more detailed Amendment 3 workshop from September 16 on the County News section of indianriver.gov.

What to do before November 3

1. Check your homestead status. Look up your parcel on the Indian River County Property Appraiser's website and see which exemptions you have today.
2. Find your current non-school taxes. Your property tax bill lists each taxing authority on its own line, with the school board separate from the county and city. The non-school lines are the part the bigger exemption would touch.
3. If you own a rental or second home, note that the change for you is the 5% cap, not the homestead exemption.
4. Attend or watch the county forum and bring your questions.
5. Make your voting plan. Early voting is October 19 to 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and until 6 p.m. on Thursdays, at the Main Library on 21st Street, the Supervisor of Elections office on 43rd Avenue, the Intergenerational Recreation Center and Sebastian City Hall. Mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Questions about voting go to the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections at 772-226-4700.