County to Explain Amendment 3's Potential $191 Million Budget Hit at Sept. 29 Town Hall

St. Johns County will hold a public town hall Tuesday evening to explain how a proposed constitutional amendment on next year's ballot could cut county revenue by nearly $192 million a year within six years, and what that could mean for services residents rely on every day.

The meeting runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at the St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, in St. Augustine. County Administrator Joy Andrews will lead the session, with Wade Schroeder, the county's Office of Management and Budget director, walking through the financial projections.

Proposed Property Tax Amendment 3 will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide ballot. If Florida voters approve it, the amendment would raise the homestead exemption used to calculate county, city and special-district property taxes, lower the assessment cap for most non-homestead properties, and add new residency requirements for anyone claiming the expanded exemption.

What it could cost the county

According to estimates from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, St. Johns County could lose about $68.3 million in property-tax revenue in fiscal year 2028 if the amendment passes. That loss would grow to $136.1 million by FY2029 and reach $191.6 million a year by FY2032.

The county has been preparing for that possibility since May, reviewing services, staffing, contracts, capital projects and fees across every department. Staff completed a service inventory covering 380 services in 18 departments and reviewed 1,137 existing fees along with several dozen proposed new ones.

About $100 million in capital improvement projects has already been placed on hold while the county waits for the November outcome, and roughly $8.6 million tied to vacant and paused positions has been set aside for reassessment after the election. County officials stress none of that spending has been canceled, only delayed until the results are known.

The county's recommended FY2027 budget also builds in $31.2 million for emergency response reserves and an additional $30 million in General Fund reserves specifically meant to cushion the impact if Amendment 3 passes.

How to take part

Residents who cannot attend in person can watch a livestream on the county's GovTV, Facebook and YouTube channels, and a recording will be posted afterward. Anyone with a question for Andrews can submit it in advance through the county's online question form by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28. Any submitted questions not addressed live will be answered and posted to the county's Amendment 3 webpage after the event.

The county has not said which specific services would face cuts if the amendment passes and the projected losses materialize. That question, along with how the assessment-cap change would affect individual property owners, is likely to come up directly at Tuesday's meeting. More detail, including the full breakdown of proposed changes and their potential effects, is posted at sjcfl.us/amendment-3.

Want to weigh in before Tuesday, or talk through what this could mean for your own tax bill? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and find more coverage on our government and politics page. For all our latest local coverage, visit the St. Augustine Community Website.