Orlando City Hall is spending Monday morning gaming out what could be a seismic shift in how the city pays its bills. With a sweeping state property-tax amendment headed for the November ballot, Orlando City Council is holding a workshop on July 13 to walk through how the measure might rewrite the city’s budget and, eventually, its services.
The hybrid session starts at 10 a.m. and will feature a detailed property-tax update along with an early look at a potential budget blueprint, all framed around what happens if voters say yes to the statewide tax cut.
Workshop details
The council's workshop is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in City Hall's Council Chambers and will be held in a hybrid format, according to the City of Orlando. Chief Financial Officer Jose Fernandez is slated to deliver a "Property Tax Reform Update," followed by a budget proposal update from Assistant CFO Jason Wojkiewicz.
Residents who would rather skip the trip downtown can log in remotely using the Zoom webinar link that is posted with the official agenda materials.
What the amendment would do
State lawmakers have already sent a constitutional amendment to the November ballot that would significantly raise the non-school homestead exemption over the next few years, as laid out by the Florida Senate. The proposal would boost that exemption to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, if 60% of voters statewide sign off.
The measure also adds new residency rules for people moving to Florida after Jan. 1, 2027, and places limits on how local governments can use ad valorem tax revenue. In other words, it is not just a tweak at the margins, it is a structural change that local budget writers are now scrambling to model out.
Local governments brace for big shortfalls
Across Central Florida, finance teams are already sharpening their pencils. Municipal leaders are running worst-case, best-case and everything-in-between scenarios to see how much money might vanish from local coffers if the amendment passes, according to ClickOrlando.
In Sanford, the mayor has warned that the city could lose about $15 million. Ocoee is projecting a $4.1 million shortfall in the first year alone, a gap that could grow to roughly $8 million by 2028. Some cities are already talking openly about raising other rates or fees to patch the holes, ClickOrlando reported.
Residents, unsurprisingly, are not all on the same page. One local told ClickOrlando she backs lower property taxes but draws the line at higher fees for city services. Another resident, Don Combs, urged a go-slow approach, saying, "We need some reform, but we don't need it to disappear."
How Orlando could respond
That split sentiment is exactly what Orlando officials will be navigating in Monday's workshop. Finance staff are expected to lay out a series of possible responses for council members to consider, ranging from tapping into reserves and reshuffling spending priorities to reducing certain services or increasing fees.
The full agenda, backup materials, and webinar information are available on the city's public-meetings page, according to the City of Orlando. After the workshop wraps, the city plans to post recordings and documents so residents can review the numbers for themselves.
Legal fight and what to watch
The political story playing out at City Hall is only half of it. The ballot measure's wording is already tied up in court, with a lawsuit claiming the summary language misleads voters. That challenge could force changes to how the question appears on the November ballot, according to News4JAX.
Between the legal wrangling, the local revenue modeling and the council's choices about what to prioritize, the next few months will determine how city leaders explain the trade-offs to Orlando voters.
Monday's workshop will not alter the statewide ballot language, and it will not lock in a final city budget. What it will do is sketch the outlines of how Orlando may be forced to reshape services if the tax cut wins voter approval in November.
