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St. Johns County residents can question county officials about Amendment 3's projected property tax revenue losses at a public town hall Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The session runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine. County Administrator Joy Andrews will lead the event, and Wade Schroeder, director of the Office of Management and Budget, will present data on the amendment's potential financial effects, according to the county's announcement.

Residents who want their questions addressed should submit them by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, through the question form at sjcfl.us/amendment-3. Questions not answered during the event will be posted to that page afterward.

For those who cannot attend in person, the county will livestream the town hall on its YouTube and Facebook pages and on GovTV. A recording will also be available on those platforms after the event.

What Amendment 3 would change for property owners

The proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot would raise the homestead exemption for nonschool property taxes to $150,000 starting Jan. 1, 2027, and to $250,000 starting Jan. 1, 2028, with annual inflation adjustments beginning in 2029. It would also cut the assessment cap on most nonhomestead properties from 10% to 5%.

The measure requires approval by at least 60% of Florida voters to take effect.

County could lose $191.6 million by 2032

The losses would grow each year. According to estimates from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, posted on the county's Amendment 3 webpage, St. Johns County could lose $68.3 million in property tax revenue in fiscal year 2028, rising to $191.6 million by fiscal 2032. That $191.6 million figure represents roughly 45% of the county's estimated $426 million in fiscal 2027 property tax revenue.

How the county is preparing for cuts

As we reported Sept. 22, the county has already placed about $100 million in capital improvement projects on hold and identified $8.6 million in staffing costs for reassessment pending the election outcome. The recommended fiscal 2027 budget sets aside $31.2 million in emergency response reserves and $30 million in General Fund reserves for financial resiliency.

County staff members have reviewed 380 services across 18 departments and examined 1,137 existing fees as part of the preparation, according to county records.

In July, Andrews told the Board of County Commissioners the amendment could prove "revolutionary" or "catastrophic" depending on one's perspective, St. Johns Community reported.

The county says it does not advocate for or against the amendment. The town hall will present factual information about the proposal's potential effects on county operations and finances.

The amendment goes before voters Nov. 3.