St. Johns County to Host Town Hall on Property Tax Amendment

St. Johns County government will hold a public town hall Tuesday, September 29, to explain a property-tax ballot measure that could significantly alter how homeowners and investors are taxed across Northeast Florida. County Administrator Joy Andrews will lead the session from 6:30 p. m. to 8 p. m. at the St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine.

The meeting focuses on Proposed Property Tax Amendment 3, which will appear on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot. The City of St. Augustine is encouraging residents to attend, and the county is accepting questions in advance through an online form by 5 p. m. Monday, September 28.

What's on the ballot

Amendment 3 would make three changes to Florida's property-tax structure. First, it would increase the homestead exemption used to calculate county, municipal, special district, and other non-school property taxes for qualifying properties. Second, it would reduce the assessment cap for most non-homestead properties—a category that includes rental homes, commercial buildings, and second homes. Third, it would establish additional residency requirements for the expanded homestead exemption.

The current homestead exemption under Florida law provides up to $50,000 in assessed-value reduction: the first $25,000 applies to all property taxes including school levies, and the second $25,000 applies to non-school taxes on assessed value above $50,000. Amendment 3 would change the non-school portion of that exemption, though the specific dollar figures of the proposed increase are not detailed in the county's announcement.

Andrews will outline the proposal's potential financial effects on St. Johns County revenues and how changes to property-tax revenue could affect the county budget. Neither St. Johns County nor the City of St. Augustine advocates for or against the amendment; the town hall is intended to provide factual information about the proposal and its effects on county operations and finances.

Residents unable to attend in person can watch the meeting live on the county's GovTV, Facebook, and YouTube platforms. The session will be available on demand on the same platforms following the event.

What it could mean for St. Johns County's budget

Property taxes are the primary revenue source for county government operations in Florida. In St. Johns County—one of the state's fastest-growing counties by population—property-tax receipts fund everything from road maintenance and sheriff's patrols to parks, libraries, and general administration.

An increase in the homestead exemption would reduce the taxable assessed value of primary residences, lowering the tax bill for homesteaded properties and correspondingly reducing the revenue collected by the county, municipalities, and special districts unless those governments raise millage rates to compensate. The scale of that impact depends on how many properties qualify for the expanded exemption and the size of the increase, details that will be central to Andrews's presentation.

At the same time, lowering the assessment cap for non-homestead properties—which currently can increase up to 10 percent per year under Florida's Save Our Homes rules for non-homesteaded parcels—would slow the growth of taxable value on rental homes, investment properties, and commercial real estate. Over time, that constraint could widen the gap between what homeowners and non-homesteaded property owners pay, a dynamic that has shaped local-government finance debates across Florida for years.

The additional residency requirements for the expanded exemption could also affect eligibility. Florida law already requires homestead applicants to make a property their permanent residence as of January 1 of the tax year and file with the county property appraiser; stricter requirements could disqualify some current or prospective claimants.

Impact on development and real-estate markets

Property-tax policy intersects directly with St. Johns County's booming residential and commercial real-estate markets. The county has been among Florida's fastest-growing for more than a decade, driven by highly rated schools, proximity to Jacksonville's employment centers, and master-planned communities such as Nocatee and SilverLeaf that rank among the top-selling in the nation.

A higher homestead exemption would make primary-residence ownership more affordable on an annual basis, a potential draw for new buyers weighing Florida's overall tax burden. Florida has no state income tax, so property taxes and sales taxes carry more weight in household budgets than in many other states.

For investors and developers, a lower assessment cap on non-homestead properties could affect the economics of rental housing and commercial projects. Rental-home investors typically model property taxes as a percentage of net operating income; slower growth in assessed value would reduce that line item over time, potentially improving returns. But it would also shift a larger share of the total tax base onto homesteaded properties unless local governments adjust millage rates.

Commercial property owners—shopping centers, office parks, industrial warehouses—would see similar effects. In a high-growth county where new development continually adds to the tax rolls, the interplay between assessment caps, new construction, and millage rates determines whether existing property owners see tax increases, decreases, or stability from year to year.

The amendment does not change school taxes, which are set by the school district and the state and account for roughly half of a typical property-tax bill in Florida. That means the budgetary pressure from Amendment 3 would fall on county and city general funds, not the school board.

How residents can weigh in and what happens next

St. Johns County is accepting questions in advance through its online Amendment 3 Town Hall Question Form, with a deadline of 5 p. m. Monday, September 28. The form is accessible on the county's website, which also hosts additional information about the proposed amendment.

The September 29 town hall is designed as an informational session, not a hearing with public comment or a vote. Residents will have the opportunity to hear Andrews's presentation, review written materials, and submit or ask questions, but the decision rests with voters statewide on November 3.

If a majority of Florida voters approve Amendment 3, the changes would take effect for the 2027 tax year, with property-tax bills mailed in November 2027 reflecting the new exemption levels, assessment caps, and residency rules. County and municipal governments would need to adopt millage rates for 2027 in budget hearings during summer 2027, a process that under Florida law requires two public hearings and mailed notices to property owners showing proposed tax amounts.

Local governments across Florida are watching Amendment 3 closely. If it passes, county commissions and city councils will face a choice: accept lower revenues and cut services or capital projects, or raise millage rates to maintain current funding levels and shift more of the burden onto non-homestead properties and new development.

The broader Northeast Florida context

St. Johns County is not alone in grappling with the implications of Amendment 3. Duval, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, Putnam, and Baker counties—along with dozens of municipalities and hundreds of special districts across Northeast Florida—all rely on property taxes to fund core services.

In Duval County, where Jacksonville's consolidated government operates the largest municipal budget in the region, any reduction in property-tax revenue would reverberate through everything from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to JEA oversight, road resurfacing, and park maintenance. Clay and Nassau counties, both experiencing rapid residential growth along new highway corridors, face similar budget dynamics as St. Johns.

The amendment arrives as Northeast Florida continues to absorb some of the fastest population growth in the state. New residents drive demand for roads, schools, libraries, and public safety, but they also add to the tax base. How that growth is taxed—and who pays what share—shapes the region's ability to build the infrastructure and services that make continued growth possible.

For St. Johns County, where top-rated schools and quality of life are central to the growth story, the town hall on September 29 offers residents a chance to understand what's at stake before they vote in November.