Amendment 3 Passes: What It Means for Jupiter's Budget, Plus How North County Voted

By Jupiter Tide Staff

Pictured: the Jupiter Community Center, whose renovation is on the town's list of projects that could pause. Photo: Jupiter Tide

JUPITER — Amendment 3, the statewide measure that greatly expands Florida's homestead property tax exemption, passed on Tuesday. Jupiter's town government has warned that it will mean less money for local projects.

Unofficial state results show 61.99% of voters said yes, just above the 60% that constitutional amendments need. More than 7.9 million ballots were cast on the question.

The Town of Jupiter's Amendment 3 page says the homestead exemption would rise from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. The amendment also lowers the cap on how much assessments can rise each year for non-homestead property.

The town estimates that Jupiter will collect about $5.5 million less in property taxes in fiscal year 2027 and about $10.5 million less in 2028, roughly $16 million in total. For scale, the town's FY27 property tax revenue is about $66.9 million, and the Police Department's budget is $35.6 million.

The town has said more than $20 million in planned projects could be paused, including:

The town has said the Town Council will hold a budget workshop in late November or early December to decide how to respond. No date has been posted yet. On Oct. 20, the council voted 4-1 for a resolution opposing the amendment (https://www.jupitertide.com/p/jupiter-council-opposes-amendment-3).

Amendments 1 and 2 both failed. Amendment 1, on the state budget stabilization fund, got 40.9%. Amendment 2, a tax exemption for tangible personal property on agricultural land, got 58.22%, just short of the 60% it needed.

All results below are unofficial as of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections' 2:58 a.m. update Wednesday, with all 814 precincts reporting. They can still change as remaining mail and provisional ballots are counted and the canvassing board certifies the results. Turnout in Palm Beach County was 64.81%.

Statewide. Republican Byron Donalds was elected governor with 50.02% of the vote to Democrat David Jolly's 48.71%. Palm Beach County went the other way, with 55.53% for Jolly and 43.25% for Donalds. U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody won statewide with 50.87%. Republicans also won the races for attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

Congress. U.S. Rep. Brian Mast won re-election in District 21 with 53.95%.

State House. Results are mixed for the three districts that include parts of Jupiter:

Both House margins are more than half a percentage point, the threshold that triggers an automatic recount under state law.

County. Palm Beach County voters approved both bond questions: the parks bond with 66.17% and the library bond with 63.57%. They also renewed the school district's 1-mill property tax for schools with 76.87%. In County Commission District 6, Democrat Katherine Waldron unseated Republican Commissioner Sara Baxter with 58.21% of the vote. Democrat Yvette Drucker was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller with 62.04%, defeating Republican Mike Caruso.

Look up your precinct. Full results, including judicial retention votes and the Soil & Water race, are on the Supervisor of Elections results page: https://enr.electionsfl.org/PAL/4131/Reports/

Sources

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