Amendment 3 in Palm Beach County: Two Calculators, Two Sides, and How to Vote

Palm Beach County homeowners no longer have to guess what Amendment 3 would mean for their own tax bill. This week, both sides of the debate put a calculator in front of voters, and the two tools tell very different halves of the same story. Here is what each one shows, what the amendment actually does, and how to make sure your vote counts on November 3.

What happened in Palm Beach County this week

On September 23, Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks launched an Amendment 3 calculator at pbcpao.gov. If you already have a homestead exemption, you can look up your property and see your current estimated taxes alongside a projection for 2027 and 2028 if the amendment passes. The estimates use 2026 certified values and millage rates, so actual bills will depend on future values and rates. Jacks described the tool plainly: "It's really here to educate and nothing more." About 300,000 Palm Beach County homesteads could qualify for the larger exemption.

A week later, on September 30, the Florida Policy Institute, an Orlando-based nonprofit that opposes the amendment, released a calculator of its own focused on what local governments would lose. For Palm Beach County, it projects about $413 million in lost local revenue in fiscal year 2028 and about $771 million in fiscal year 2029, with fire rescue, the Health Care District, the Children's Services Council and the library system among the most exposed. Those figures are revenue projections, not confirmed cuts. Each city and taxing district would decide for itself how to respond.

Governor Ron DeSantis has pushed back on that framing, arguing that local governments have benefited from rapidly rising property tax collections and should control spending before asking homeowners to pay more.

The county's own budget process reflects the same uncertainty. When commissioners gave tentative approval to the $8.26 billion county budget in early September, staff recommended setting aside additional reserves, citing concerns from bond rating agencies and uncertainty around Amendment 3.

What Amendment 3 actually does

• Raises the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to up to $150,000 starting January 1, 2027, and up to $250,000 starting January 1, 2028, with annual inflation adjustments beginning in 2029.

• Keeps a separate $25,000 exemption that applies to school taxes, so school taxes do not get the same increase.

• Lowers the yearly cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, including rentals, second homes and commercial buildings, from 10% to 5%.

• Phases in the full benefit over five years for people who become Florida residents after December 31, 2026.

• Needs at least 60% of the vote to pass.

Why it matters to Palm Beach County owners and businesses

For homeowners, the case for a Yes vote is direct: a larger exemption keeps ownership affordable for the people already living here, at a time when insurance, utilities and everyday costs keep climbing. The new county calculator makes that case concrete, because you can see your own number instead of a statewide average.

For landlords and commercial owners, the drop from a 10% to a 5% assessment cap means a tighter, more predictable ceiling on how fast taxable values can rise. That predictability matters to the small businesses and tenants who lease that space, since property taxes are passed through in most commercial leases.

The honest counterpoint is the one the opposing calculator highlights. The state's own estimate puts the recurring loss to local governments at roughly $12 billion statewide, and there is no dedicated state funding to replace it. If local governments respond by raising millage rates, non-homestead and commercial properties could carry more of the load. RH Realty supports a Yes vote, and we think you should weigh both calculators before you decide.

If you own commercial property or are planning a move and want to talk through what this could mean for your situation, reach out to our team.

How to vote in Palm Beach County

• Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

• The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, and mail ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections main office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

• Early voting runs Monday, October 19 through Sunday, November 1, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Locations are listed at votepalmbeach.gov.

Look up your number, read both sides, and vote. Amendment 3 needs 60% to pass, so every ballot counts.