Hallandale Mayor Asks Residents Which Services To Cut

Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper is putting a blunt question to her constituents, asking residents this week which city services they would be willing to cut if a sweeping state property tax amendment passes in November. In a warning that got local attention, she said the proposal could strip "millions" from the city budget, and she took to her social media accounts to crowdsource ideas before the money disappears.

Cooper used her social channels to launch the informal survey, framing it as a way to get ahead of possible budget shortfalls if the statewide change moves forward, according to CBS News Miami.

Legislature sends homestead change to the ballot

Last Tuesday, the Florida Legislature approved a joint resolution that sends a large homestead exemption change to the November ballot. The measure still needs voter approval before it becomes part of the state constitution. According to the Florida Senate, the resolution cleared a special session and will show up on the fall ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment.

What the amendment would do

The proposal would phase in a much larger homestead exemption, roughly $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and it directs the Legislature to adopt a schedule that could eventually eliminate most non-school property taxes on primary homes. The text also tightens what counts as allowable local spending and specifically shields school district property tax revenue, according to a plain-English guide and independent fact checks. PolitiFact has parsed the language and limits.

What it could mean for Hallandale Beach

Nonpartisan analysts say the price tag would be steep. A county-level review from the Florida Policy Institute projects multi billion dollar annual losses for counties and school districts from the $250,000 exemption alone, and warns that cities would be pushed to cut services, raise fees, or shift costs onto non-homestead property owners. Those statewide figures help explain Cooper’s urgency, since smaller cities like Hallandale Beach could still be staring at budget gaps in the millions even if the statewide totals run much higher. Florida Policy Institute lays out the county and school projections.

Next steps and timeline

The amendment will only take effect if voters approve it in November, and it needs at least 60 percent support to pass, so local governments are shifting into contingency-planning mode as campaigns and legal reviews get underway. NBC6 reported on the Legislature’s vote and the process that sends the question to the ballot.

For now, Cooper’s public brainstorming session is the clearest sign that Hallandale Beach and other small South Florida cities are trying to brace for what could be a sudden revenue hit. Residents who want to track how the numbers play out can follow commission calendars and budget documents through City Hall’s public records portal. City of Hallandale Beach