Winter Garden has built an online tool that lets residents drag budget sliders and watch what happens to police, fire, and parks funding if Florida voters approve a sweeping property tax amendment this November. The city says it could lose an estimated $5.2 million in property tax revenue in the first year alone if Amendment 3 passes, a hit that would grow to $8.5 million more the following year if the effects continue.
The new Budget & Finance Portal, created by the City of Winter Garden, includes a budget prioritization tool, an Amendment 3 information section, and a budget transparency report covering the city's finances over the past decade, according to Orange Observer News. City Manager Jon C. Williams told the outlet that no decisions have been made yet about specific budget changes or cuts, and that the city is not trying to sway anyone's vote on the measure.
What The Numbers Show
Winter Garden currently collects $30.3 million in property tax revenue against a public safety budget of $38.4 million for fiscal year 2026, a gap of $8.1 million that already exists before any tax cuts take effect, per the same report. A first-year reduction under Amendment 3 would represent 17% of the city's total property tax revenue, while a continued second-year reduction would equal 28%. The city has 15,226 residential properties, of which 10,526 are homesteaded, according to the same account.
Cutting the departments Winter Garden has flagged as vulnerable — parks and recreation programs, special events, the planning department, and economic development — could cover the $5.2 million first-year funding gap, the Orange Observer's reporting indicates. But those same cuts would not be enough to close the larger second-year gap, meaning the city could eventually have to consider trimming core police and fire services if the amendment's effects deepen.
How The Portal Works
The budget prioritization tool covers seven areas: police, fire and rescue, parks and recreation, general government, building inspection, community and economic development, and public services. Users can adjust funding levels for each department and immediately see the resulting cuts, then save their simulation results as a PDF. A companion survey asks residents about spending priorities, service levels, and alternative revenue sources, though participants must provide a valid email address tied to an active utility billing account to take part.
Williams said city staff reviewed revenue sources and expenditures, looked for efficiency opportunities, and analyzed city processes and operating rationale before building the tool, and that staff remains willing to meet with community members who have questions. He also recommended delaying new personnel requirements until after Amendment 3 results are known, even as department requests for new staff will still be part of the city's upcoming budget presentation. Winter Garden's full budget, including a 10-year financial sustainability forecast assessing potential second- and third-year impacts of the tax reform, will go before the Winter Garden City Commission on August 27. Williams said the proposed budget will largely maintain the status quo for now.
Why The Ballot Language Changed
Amendment 3 will appear on the November 3 ballot after a legal fight over how it would be described to voters. Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ruled on August 3 that the Legislature's original title, “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” amounted to defective political rhetoric, according to Florida Politics. That forced Attorney General James Uthmeier to submit revised, neutral language, now titled “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments,” on August 13.
If approved by at least 60% of voters, the amendment would raise the non-school homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%, and require new residents to live in the state five years before qualifying, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Statewide fiscal estimates cited by 1000 Friends of Florida project the amendment would cut local government property tax collections by roughly $4.6 billion to $5 billion statewide in its first year, ballooning to an estimated $12 billion in annual losses by year five.
A Lean City With Little Room To Cut
Winter Garden already operates with 7.64 full-time equivalent staff per 1,000 residents, the lowest ratio among 18 peer Florida cities benchmarked by the city, compared with a peer average of 11.49. That leaves the city with limited ability to absorb budget reductions through administrative staffing cuts alone. Winter Garden held its millage rate steady at 4.50 mills for seven straight fiscal years before raising it to the current 4.8565 mills, even as its population grew 24% between fiscal years 2017 and 2026.
The city's business tax receipt rates already rose 5% after the Winter Garden City Commission approved a business tax hike in July, an earlier move to secure more predictable operational revenue ahead of this budget cycle. Neighboring Ocoee is bracing for similar strain, estimating it could lose about $4.15 million in FY2027 and up to $8.5 million in FY2028 if Amendment 3 passes, which has pushed that city's leaders to explore shifting fire protection costs onto homeowners through specialized fees, according to WKMG-TV.
Public Safety Groups Push Back Statewide
Statewide public safety organizations, including the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Professional Firefighters, the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, have formally opposed Amendment 3, warning that the cuts would strain the municipal funds police, fire, EMS, and disaster response services depend on, per WGCU News. An August analysis from the Florida Policy Institute added that the tax cuts could compound emergency funding risks if proposed federal cuts to FEMA public assistance reimbursements force cities to cover a larger share of storm cleanup costs from their own general funds.
West Orange County residents will get a chance to hear directly from local leaders on the issue. Municipal officials from Oakland, Winter Garden, Windermere, and Orange County have scheduled a joint Property Tax Townhall for September 1 at the West Orange High School cafeteria in Winter Garden to discuss how Amendment 3 could affect emergency services, infrastructure, and municipal budgets across the region.
