Impacts of Amendment One on Transportation in Florida

Amendment One in Florida - Impact on Transportation

On its surface, Amendment One seems to be a much-welcomed tax relief bill for vast majority of property-owning Floridians. The state's businesses likewise applauded the passage of Amendment One. However, the property tax reform measure was opposed by local governments and public safety providers, who stated that it would compromise the safety and quality of public services, including transportation. The cuts in funds would limit necessary infrastructure maintenance, upgrades, and needed surveillance to protect the public welfare. Often, because of a desire to see financial relief, and because of Florida's prohibitively high property taxes, it is difficult for the public to have a far-sighted view of the necessary funds needed to ensure that transportation is functional ("NFIB cheers passage of Amendment One," Jacksonville Business Journal, 2008).

The amendment doubled the homestead exemption to $50,000 and made the Save Our Homes provision of the constitution, which limits increases of the taxable value of a home to 3% annually, portable from one homestead owner to another. For example, if one householder moved from one home to another, he or she would carry the 3% increase limit. However, Florida Tax Watch has criticized such measures as unconstitutional, and said that they disproportionately affect new homeowners. In particular, the Save Our Homes provision might simply protect people who are already wealthy when they move to more expensive homes ("Florida Tax Watch: Amendment One will do more harm than good," Jacksonville Business Journal, 2008).