Jupiter Town Hall. (Photo: Hap1960 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0)
By Jupiter Tide Staff
Update, Nov. 4: Amendment 3 passed statewide with about 62% of the vote (unofficial). Story: https://www.jupitertide.com/p/amendment-3-passes-jupiter-budget-election-results-2026
JUPITER — The Jupiter Town Council voted 4-1 on Oct. 20 to formally oppose Amendment 3, the property tax measure on Florida's Nov. 3 ballot, according to the town clerk's meeting synopsis.
Resolution 130-26 joins the town with the Palm Beach County League of Cities in its opposition to the amendment. Councilor Malise Sundstrom made the motion and Councilor Dan Guisinger seconded it. Mayor Jim Kuretski, Councilor Ron Delaney, Sundstrom and Guisinger voted yes. Vice Mayor Phyllis Choy voted no.
The resolution is a statement of position. It does not set tax rates or spend money; the staff memo says no funding is needed. Under the resolution, the town clerk will send copies to the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, the county's legislative delegation, the Florida League of Cities and the Palm Beach County League of Cities, according to the meeting agenda packet.
What the ballot says
Voters will see Amendment 3 under the title "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments." According to the official ballot summary from the Florida Division of Elections, the amendment would:
raise the homestead exemption from taxes other than school district taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust it each year for inflation
require the Legislature to create a way for counties and cities to raise the exemption further, up to a home's full assessed value; special districts could do the same with voter approval
give people who are not Florida residents on Dec. 31, 2026, the existing exemption, with the larger exemption starting in their fifth year
lower the yearly cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, such as rentals and businesses, from 10% to 5%
limit what county and city property taxes may pay for to public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt on bonds, employee retirement and operations and administration
If approved, the changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Like all constitutional amendments, it needs 60% of the vote to pass.
Why the town says it matters
The town estimates the amendment would cut Jupiter's property tax revenue by $5.5 million in fiscal 2027 and another $10.5 million in fiscal 2028. It has listed more than $20 million in capital projects, including the southern extension of Island Way and the Community Center renovation, that it could pause if the measure passes.
The resolution itself says property taxes are the main way cities pay for services, that Amendment 3 "does not identify a dedicated state funding source to replace that revenue," and that its financial effects have "not been fully analyzed or clearly communicated." It urges state policymakers to do a "thorough, transparent, and data-driven evaluation" of the amendment's impacts "so that voters can understand what they are voting for."
The Legislature placed the amendment on the ballot.
What's next
Early voting in Palm Beach County runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Find your polling place and sample ballot through the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at https://www.votepalmbeach.gov.
Sources
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