LARGO — Pinellas County residents should expect higher user fees and cuts to parks, libraries and recreation programs if voters approve Amendment 3 on Nov. 3, County Commissioner Brian Scott said at a town hall meeting Sept. 30.
Scott laid out the possible local effects of the state Legislature’s proposed property tax cut for homesteaded properties during the session, hosted by state Rep. Kim Berfield at the Largo Public Library. The amendment needs 60% voter approval to pass.
After months of public work sessions, special meetings and accusations of fearmongering on both sides of the debate, the picture Scott painted was sobering, particularly for small towns that rely heavily on ad valorem, or property tax, revenue to pay for programs and services.
“Our goal tonight is to provide information so you can make an educated and informed decision on Amendment 3,” Scott said in his opening remarks.
Berfield, a Republican who represents District 58 and is seeking reelection next month, said the town hall was held in Largo because of its central location and because the city shares emergency services with surrounding municipalities.
Scott, who is also running for reelection in November, dismissed predictions that the amendment would devastate public safety in Pinellas communities.
“I don’t think any of that is going to happen,” he said. “Because we will absolutely 100% prioritize public safety. Public safety is a core function, it’s the most important, and it’s also the most expensive part of our government.”
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office accounts for $501 million, or 45%, of the county’s general fund budget for fiscal 2027, Scott said. He said the county has already begun preparing by “eliminating close to 50 positions and eliminating some funding for some programs altogether just so we can be prepared and ready for what could be coming down the line.”
After public safety and infrastructure, Scott said, “the reductions are going to come from what I call quality of life services, things that residents have come to expect over the years, things like parks, libraries, recreation centers and youth sports. Those are soft services, not core services, of the government.”
Those services would “probably not go away,” he said, but residents should expect higher user fees or reduced service. As examples, he cited library cards costing $100 a year, earlier park closing times and higher prices for recreation center memberships and youth sports.
“We don’t really know, because a lot of those bridges, we’re going to have to cross when we get there,” he said. “But those are just some examples of some things that you can expect.”
On emergency medical services, Scott said, “We don’t really want less paramedics on the streets, so failure is not really an option on that front.” He said the county would “have to find a way to backfill” any lost EMS funding, likely through “some sort of an EMS fee.”
Scott also said “there are some great opportunities with Amendment 3.” Pinellas is the most densely populated county in the state but one of the smallest geographically, he noted.
“We have 24 municipalities. Some of them with less than 100 people that actually live there,” he said. “So, do we need 24 city halls? Do we need 24 city managers? Do we need 24 public works directors? Probably not. And there’s a lot of these smaller communities that still have their own police departments when we know that the sheriff’s office can provide these services at a much lower cost.
“So, there is a lot of opportunity here to have some conversation around consolidation of services, and the silver lining of Amendment 3 is providing an opportunity for those conversations when before they were nonstarters.”
He closed by saying, “I think there’s a lot of really good things in Amendment 3. And I think there will probably be some unintended consequences.”
Earlier in the session, which drew a far smaller crowd than the packed Sept. 9 property tax town hall at Largo City Hall, Berfield said the push to cut property taxes on homesteaded properties won’t end if Amendment 3 fails.
“Regardless of what happens on Nov. 3, the Florida Constitution requires that a Taxation and Budget Reform Commission be established every 20 years,” Berfield said. “So, in 2027, a new Taxation and Budget Reform Commission will be appointed.”
The commission will have 25 voting members and four nonvoting members, she said, and will examine “how our taxes are generated as well as how we manage them.”
“So, if you support (Amendment 3) and it doesn’t pass, there is an opportunity for another action to be taken,” she said. “It doesn’t just end. And we need to be conscientious of that.”
During the question-and-answer period, an audience member asked whether the proposal could change if Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly defeats Republican Byron Donalds in November.
Berfield said the amendment itself would stand if voters approve it, but the language implementing it could change, and the new commission will review it next year.
“Another group is going to look at it, and it could make a different recommendation,” she said.
After the meeting, Largo Mayor Woody Brown stressed the importance of informing voters about how Amendment 3 could affect cities and counties statewide.
“I think it’s important for folks to know there’s real consequences on the level of service cities and counties will be able to provide,” Brown told Tampa Bay Beacons. “Especially EMS, which is a line item on tax bills that receives funding from cities and counties. It will suffer if this passes.”
Brown said it was “good that Rep. Berfield reached out to us to host a town hall on the issue. I believe she voted in favor of having it on the ballot, but she understands the negative effect it could have on cities and counties throughout the state.”
As for the changes Scott outlined, Brown said, “It’s already happening. Boat ramp fees are doubling, parking fees are increasing, county positions are being eliminated. And I think people who want to listen are hearing it and people who don’t are ignoring it.”
Asked what the biggest effect would be if Amendment 3 passes, Brown said, “I think the biggest is the quality of life. That will be immediate, and we’re going to have to find a way to pay for these programs and services that our residents have come to expect. And that’s going to be through parks and recreation closures and reductions, personnel cuts and implementing more user fees.”
The Largo City Commission is scheduled to review an alternate fiscal 2028 budget based on the amendment’s passage at its Oct. 6 meeting.