Sarasota and Manatee nonprofits plan for county cuts if Florida voters approve Amendment 3 property tax measure
The amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028. Sarasota County holds more than $16 million in nonprofit service contracts this year and Manatee County more than $5 million.
Sarasota. Nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties are planning for smaller county contracts in case Florida voters approve Amendment 3 on Nov. 3. The amendment does not mention nonprofits, but it would cut the property taxes from which both counties pay nonprofit providers.
The Legislature placed the amendment on the ballot. Its summary, published by the Florida Division of Elections, says it would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust it for inflation, and lower the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent. Counties and cities would have to spend property taxes on listed purposes, from public safety to administration, though local boards may approve other spending unless general law bars it. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and needs 60 percent of the vote.
What the counties could lose
The Florida Association of Counties estimates that Sarasota County's revenue would fall by about $50.1 million in the 2027-28 budget year and $89 million in 2028-29, and Manatee County's by about $62.9 million and $113.2 million. Over five years, its projections come to almost $400 million for Sarasota and almost $500 million for Manatee, Suncoast Searchlight reported in a story published Oct. 8 by Sarasota Magazine. The association calls its figures a baseline.
For the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, Sarasota County approved more than $16 million in contracts with nonprofit behavioral health and human service providers and Manatee County more than $5 million, Searchlight reported. Nonprofit leaders fear those contracts could be among the first cut.
What nonprofits say
The Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, which coordinates homelessness services in both counties, will receive almost $100,000 from Manatee and more than $300,000 from Sarasota this year, about 20 percent of its typical budget. Its chief executive, Taylor Neighbors, said services that governments drop may fall to nonprofits without the money to provide them.
The Child Protection Center, which provides therapy for abused children, was approved for about $250,000 from Sarasota County toward a $1.2 million program. All Faiths Food Bank received a $280,000 county grant, a small part of the roughly $7 million it spends on food a year; its president, Nelle Miller, said any cuts to human services would mean more work for the food bank.
“The bottom line for us is, it would hurt. Any loss of funding is a big blow.”
Sabeen Perwaiz, president of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, said nonprofits across the state are making contingency plans. Gov. Ron DeSantis and other supporters say the amendment will save money for homeowners, and for renters as landlords pass on their savings.
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