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Florida Increased Homestead Exemption, Amendment 6 (2006)
From Ballotpedia
Contents |
Proposed Amendment 6 authorized the Florida State Legislature to allow counties to increase the maximum additional homestead property tax exemption for low-income seniors from $25,000 to $50,000. This change went into effect on January 1, 2007. Since Florida's 67 counties already had an additional, existing option of adding an additional $25,000 exemption, some seniors (depending on which county they live in) have an exemption from property taxes as high as $75,000.
Election results
| Amendment 6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 a Yes | 3,533,101 | 76.4% | ||
| No | 1,092,128 | 23.6% | ||
Ballot language
| Florida Constitution |
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| Articles |
| Preamble • I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII |
Proposed Amendment #6's summary on the ballot said:
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Proposing amendment of the State Constitution to increase the maximum additional homestead exemption for low-income seniors from $25,000 to $50,000 and to schedule the amendment to take effect January 1, 2007, if adopted. |
Arguments
Florida Vote Smart, an affiliate of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, provided a voter guide in 2006 to Florida's proposed constitutional amendments. In that voter guide, they presented these arguments for and against Amendment 6, based on their assessment of the arguments that advocacy groups and others were making.
In favor
- "Low-income seniors are vulnerable to sudden increases in property tax assessments, because many live on fixed incomes and simply can't keep pace with increasing property taxes. This amendment will authorize the Legislature to allow local government to potentially ease tax burdens on those most threatened by increasing property taxes."
Against
- "Property taxes generate a major source of revenue for local government. Reducing property taxes could financially devastate counties resulting in tax increases to cover revenue needs for schools and other local priorities. Therefore, reducing the property tax burden on homeowners could result in a shift of tax burdens from the homestead property owner to other taxpayers."
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Florida Constitution
Proposed Amendment 6 was referred to the ballot by a vote of both chambers of the Florida State Legislature on HJR 353 (2006 session). It was sponsored by State Senator Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R-Miami).
See also
- 2006 ballot measures
- Florida 2006 ballot measures
- Florida State Senate
- Florida House of Representatives
- List of Florida ballot measures
External links
- Summary of text and election results
- Full text
- State of Florida booklet describing the 2006 constitutional amendments
- Vote Smart Florida description of proposed amendment
References
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