Northeast Florida sheriffs urge voters to reject Amendment 3 over public safety concerns

Two Northeast Florida sheriffs and other public safety leaders are urging Floridians to vote no on Amendment 3, warning the property tax measure could lead to major revenue losses and cuts to essential services.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said Amendment 3 could result in $31 million to $78 million in lost revenue in his county.

“There has to be a way to have meaningful tax relief without giving up our essential services,” Leeper said.

Leeper was joined by Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and other public safety leaders at a Tuesday morning news conference. Their message was displayed on a poster at the podium that read, “Amendment 3: Too Good to Be True.”

The officials said passage of the amendment could lead to tens of millions of dollars in revenue losses and potentially a reduction in force.

Harold Theus, executive director of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, pointed to the potential statewide impact.

“According to the state’s own economic projection, Amendment 3 could reduce government revenues by approximately $12 billion statewide,” Theus said.

Theus said 29 of Florida’s 67 counties are financially restrained, meaning they require state assistance to afford core services. He said he is concerned about the impact on those counties if Amendment 3 passes.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also raised concerns about the measure.

“There’s just so many follow-on effects that you can not fix with a bill that you passed hastily in 24 hours, that does not account for things that cities need to rely on,” Deegan said.

Duval County Sheriff T.K. Waters and St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick did not attend the news conference. Action News Jax reached out to both agencies to ask why.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Waters had a prior engagement and provided a statement that read in part, “No matter the outcome, JSO will continue to deliver the level of service our citizens have come to expect and deserve.”

Action News Jax was still waiting to hear back from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

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