Northwest Florida League of Cities

Northwest Florida League of Cities NWFLC focuses on building and maintaining municipality and corporate relationships with the communities in the 17 county region of the Florida panhandle.

09/03/2026

Earlier this year, I joined a coalition of Democrats and Republicans, mayors and everyday Floridians, in a lawsuit against the state over the misleading and deceptive language regarding Amendment 3 which will be on our ballot this November. We didn’t sue because we disagreed with cutting taxes. We sued because the ballot language voters were about to see was, in the judge’s own words, “the worst example of a biased ballot question” the court had encountered — closer to a campaign flyer than an honest description of what this amendment does.

We won. The court ordered the state to rewrite it. Gone is the misleading slogan “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes.” Gone are the false promises that this measure protects small businesses and “core services.” That was a real victory for transparency, and I was proud to be part of it.

But here’s what I need you to understand: honest words don’t make this a good amendment. They just make it an honestly bad one.

Strip away the marketing, and Amendment 3 is a tax shift and a new burden on middle- and lower-income families. It lowers the tax burden on the wealthy while starving the local budgets that pay for the services our communities depend on. Cities and counties don’t get to conjure money out of thin air. When property tax revenue drops, local governments have exactly two choices: cut services or raise money somewhere else.

Read more: https://votenoonamendment3.com/op-ed-amendment-3-is-still-a-bad-deal-for-florida-even-with-honest-words/

09/02/2026

"The State’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research has now completed an analysis of the impacts to city and county budgets across the state—in the first year, the hit to local governments will be $5 billion. Five years out, it will be an annual shortfall of $12 billion.

"Faced with a budget shortfall of this magnitude, cities and counties would have to make hard choices, and few services would avoid reductions. Many could be eliminated entirely. As a result, Amendment 3 is opposed by a broad coalition of groups ranging from police, sheriffs, hospitals, libraries, local governments, and even fiscal responsibility watchdogs like the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch.

"At Audubon, we are especially concerned about the grim implications of Amendment 3 for sprawl, water and parks." - Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director of Audubon Florida

09/01/2026

"Florida’s 28 taxpayer-funded hospitals and healthcare taxing districts would be unable to provide some of the medical services they now offer if voters cut property taxes in November, a report issued Thursday says.
"The new report released by Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit that researches state budgets and policies, looks at the big-picture financial impact on public hospitals if Amendment 3 passes in the general election in November and estimates a $323 million loss over the next three years."

08/31/2026

"What homeowner doesn’t like the sound of a property-tax cut? More money in the bank account. A little breathing room.

Here’s the catch: Amendment 3 doesn’t make the cost of local government disappear. It changes who pays for it. The “tax cut” is likely to become a tax shift, the kind of decision we usually regret, like a drunk text or a bad karaoke video. But a constitutional amendment can’t be deleted. This one’s permanent — a face tattoo, not a haircut."

Tampa Bay Times Columnist Graham Brink, August 28, 2026

08/28/2026

"Many cities and counties would become dependent on the good will of Tallahassee lawmakers — and anyone who thinks legislators don’t play favorites hasn’t been paying attention. In the meantime, a large number of Florida residents and businesses would reap no benefit from this [property tax] amendment at all."
-Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, August 23, 2026

08/27/2026

"Amendment 3 will significantly reduce locally controlled revenue available to Florida’s cities and counties. Without a clear and sustainable replacement for that revenue, the amendment will place additional pressure on funding for public libraries and other essential local services. For libraries, reduced local resources will mean fewer hours, reduced staffing and programming, fewer materials and technology resources, and will seriously reduce access to services for the communities that depend on them." - The Florida Library Association

08/26/2026

"The Florida Association of Special Districts strongly opposes Amendment 3 because it would significantly reduce a key source of local funding without providing a sustainable replacement. Special districts are single-purpose units of government that deliver the services Floridians depend on every day, from fire rescue and emergency response to children services, water systems, water/flood control, parks, libraries, hospitals, public health mosquito control, and community infrastructure. Amendment 3 would severely limit the ability of special districts to provide and improve these critical services, placing additional pressure on the communities they serve." - Statement from the Florida Association of Special Districts

08/25/2026

"The impact of this would hit local governments like a neutron bomb. Over the course of five years, Amendment 3 would chop nearly $46 billion from the budgets of cities and counties across the state. As a result, almost every local government would face hellish decisions — weighing cuts to emergency services like police and fire against libraries, recreational programs and senior centers." -Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, August 23, 2026

08/20/2026

We at the Northwest Florida League of Cities could not be prouder of Mayor Mark Franks from the Town of Shalimar and the outstanding example of leadership and public service you continue to provide. You are truly a beacon of what it means to serve your community with dedication, integrity, and purpose. Your commitment to the people you represent is an inspiration to leaders throughout our region and across the state.

Congratulations, Mayor Franks, on this well-deserved distinction. We are grateful for your service; Northwest Florida is proud to call you one of our own, and excited to see the positive impact your leadership will continue to have throughout Florida.

Please take a moment to watch and hear his vision for the year ahead as the President of the Florida League of Cities.

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3200 Commonwealth Boulevard, Ste 7
Tallahassee, FL
32303

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