Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier released rewritten ballot language on Aug. 14 for the state’s contested property tax amendment, replacing the politically charged “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes” title with the more neutral “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homesteaded Property Assessments.” The rewrite follows a court order finding the original wording misleading to voters.
The amendment, set for Florida’s Nov. 3 ballot, needs 60% voter approval to take effect. If passed, it would raise the state’s non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with annual inflation adjustments beginning in 2029. New Florida residents who move to the state after 2026 would have to wait five years before qualifying for the higher exemption amounts.
The rewrite follows a string of court setbacks for the amendment’s original language. RealtyWire reported on the initial ballot-language hearing in late July, and Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ordered the rewrite in early August, finding the original title and summary biased and ordering the removal of politically loaded phrases including “save,” “benefits Florida taxpayers” and “protecting small businesses.” According to Florida Realtors’ Aug. 14 report, Frank found the original text read “more akin to a political slogan” than neutral constitutional amendment language, and singled out claims that the measure would lead to the “full elimination” of property taxes as unsupported by the actual text of the amendment.
The ballot-language fight began with a lawsuit filed by a group called Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language, whose members include former state Sen. Jeff Brandes and former state Rep. Al Lawson. Two additional suits were filed separately by former mayors Michael Davey and Philip Stoddard. All three challenges argued that the state’s original framing obscured the amendment’s real fiscal impact on local governments, which rely heavily on property tax revenue to fund schools, public safety and other services.
Under Florida law, a successful ballot-language challenge triggers a rewrite by the attorney general’s office rather than removal of the measure from the ballot. Uthmeier’s office shared the revised language with media on Aug. 14. Plaintiffs now have 10 days to file objections to the new wording before it is finalized for the November ballot.
The amendment was approved by the Florida Legislature during a June 2026 special session. Homestead exemptions reduce the taxable value of a primary Florida residence, and an increase of this size would meaningfully cut tax bills for homeowners statewide β but it would also shrink the tax base that counties, cities and school districts depend on. Public safety groups, including the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and firefighter unions, have previously warned that a reduced tax base could strain local budgets.
What it means: The rewritten title and summary are a verified fact β the court ordered it, and the state has now complied. Whether the new language survives the 10-day objection window is not yet known; RealtyWire will follow up if plaintiffs challenge the revised wording. The underlying policy fight β over how much relief homeowners get versus how much revenue local governments lose β remains unresolved and will be decided by Florida voters in November.
What to watch: The 10-day objection deadline for the new ballot language, and whether the amendment holds together procedurally through November after two rounds of litigation over its wording.
