May 23, 2016 - 8:45am
On top of selecting a new president, voting on a new U.S. Senator and choosing Florida lawmakers, Floridians will vote on five constitutional amendments later this year. Getting a constitutional amendment to pass isn’t a walk in the park. Each amendment needs 60 percent of the vote in order to pass, and groups in favor of and against each amendment typically tend to spend millions of dollars in campaigns to push their message.
The more highly publicized amendments will have big bucks pumped into them in an election year where voter participation is likely to be higher than it was two years ago.
Sunshine State News took a look at the four constitutional amendments hitting the ballot for the general election this year.
Amendment 5 is another tax exemption amendment which will revise the homestead tax exemption that may be granted by counties or municipalities for properties with values less than $250,000 owned by certain senior, low-income residents.
In order to qualify for the tax break, seniors would have to make less than $20,000 a year and have properties valued at less than $250,000.
These Florida seniors must be long-term residents to qualify for the tax exemption. That means they must have maintained permanent residence for at least 25 years.
According to the amendment, other qualified Floridians include those aged 65 or older, partially or fully permanently disabled veterans aged 65 years or older, surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected causes while on active duty, and surviving spouses of first responders who died in the line of duty.
“First responders” include law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians or a paramedic.
Seniors would be allowed to keep their tax exemption status even if their property value rises above $250,000.
Amendment 5 is the brainchild of the 2016 Florida Legislature, which pushed three constitutional amendments out the door during this year’s legislative session.
Amendment 5 joins two other proposals, one of which would exempt solar panels and other renewable energy devices from tangible personal property taxes while the other will provide a tax exemption for first responders, which are also included in this amendment.
The tax break amendments are likely to be less controversial than other amendments like medical marijuana, which is also up for a vote this November.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
