‘Scare tactics’ or ‘reality tactics’? Largo debates Amendment 3

LARGO — It was billed as a town hall to help residents understand what Amendment 3 could mean for their property taxes and city services.

It didn't stay that way for long.

State Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, accused Largo officials at the Sept. 9 panel discussion at Horizon West Bay of using taxpayer money to campaign against the measure and trying to scare voters with warnings about cuts to police and fire services.

At the center of the dispute was a number: $15.7 million.

That's how much Largo estimates its annual revenue would fall after the property-tax amendment is fully phased in — about 26% of the city's general fund.

“The evidence is clear that the city was prepared to use taxpayer dollars to tell you, the taxpayer, that a tax cut is bad,” Jacques said. “And they would’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for a meddling state representative.”

He said the original panel consisted of city officials and one outside guest, former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, whom he painted as strongly opposed to Amendment 3.

Jacques also took aim at the city's decision to have its police and fire chiefs discuss how a loss of revenue could affect their departments.

“Do not allow the city to scare you into voting for property tax relief by using public safety as a scare tactic,” he said.

Mayor Woody Brown rejected that characterization.

“These aren't scare tactics. These are reality tactics,” Brown said.

The $15.7 million question

City Manager John Curp said Largo's estimated $15.7 million annual reduction includes about $10.2 million in city property-tax revenue, along with money the city receives for emergency medical services, fire service in unincorporated areas and library services.

To illustrate the size of the potential shortfall, Curp said the city could close its library, recreation centers and several parks and save about $10.2 million.

It would still need to find another $5.5 million in reductions elsewhere.

Police and fire wouldn't automatically be spared, he said.

“Public safety is our top priority,” Curp said. “But we will have to look at everything in order to make the budget balance.”

Fire Chief Matt Carpenter said $5.1 million of the city's projected revenue reduction would come from county funding for emergency medical and unincorporated fire services.

Because about 92% of the Fire Rescue budget is personnel costs, Carpenter said positions would have to be part of any discussion about reductions.

He also said the city could see service reductions and potentially longer response times.

The city's presentation estimated Largo could lose about $3.7 million in county funding specifically for emergency medical services. The figure is part of the $5.1 million in combined county EMS and fire funding the city estimates is at risk.

“It’s about two 24-hour rescue trucks,” Carpenter said, adding that would mean 12 personnel, not including relief staffing.

Police Chief Mike Loux said about 81% of his department's budget is tied to personnel.

“If I were to reduce my budget, I would probably reduce personnel,” Loux said. “So that's just less people that are available for responding.”

Jacques argued repeatedly that none of those cuts would be automatic.

Cuts or choices?

Any reductions would be decisions made by Largo commissioners, he said.

“If they're gonna pick to reduce firefighters and police personnel, that's a choice that you can hold them accountable to,” Jacques told the audience.

He said city officials would have to set priorities just as families do when balancing their household budgets.

That argument surfaced again during the question-and-answer session, when a submitted question asked why Largo couldn't simply adjust its expenses as businesses do when revenue falls — and whether the warnings amounted to a scare tactic.

Curp said cutting expenses would mean cutting the programs those expenses pay for.

“Our rec centers, our libraries, the various programs we run throughout the city are part of what we pay for,” he said. “So there's really no way around reducing those programs.”

A different kind of reform

Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg who served in the Florida Senate through 2022, said Florida's property-tax system needs reform but questioned whether Amendment 3 is the right way to do it.

“The question we should be talking about is, is this the right reform and how did we get here?” he said.

Brandes said local governments could respond to lost property-tax revenue in other ways, including non-ad valorem fire assessments.

Such assessments, he said, could replace some of the revenue lost under Amendment 3.

Brown said Largo would try to protect public safety as much as possible, including police and fire as well as wastewater, streets, stormwater and building inspection services.

That could leave some of the services residents most enjoy particularly vulnerable.

“So the stuff that will be easiest are the stuff that people tend to like the most,” Brown said, pointing to recreation, parks, summer camps, the library and sidewalk projects.

Jacques later pointed to the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession, when falling property values squeezed local governments while state lawmakers also required tax rollbacks and voters approved a larger homestead exemption.

Cities survived by tightening their belts and prioritizing services, he said.

“Those cities are still in existence till this day,” Jacques said.

Brown said the current property-tax system has inequities of its own.

He has lived in the same house for nearly 18 years and said a neighbor with a similar household could pay three times as much in property taxes because Brown's taxable value has long been limited by Save Our Homes.

His property taxes have risen a total of about 19% over the past decade, Brown said, while his property insurance has tripled.

If Amendment 3 passes, Brown estimated that what he pays toward the city, county, EMS and several other non-school taxing authorities could fall to zero for 10 or 15 years.

“I just don't think that's fair,” he said.

The mayor said Largo would survive if voters approve the amendment.

But its services would change.

“We'll survive, but you won't get the same services that you do now,” he said.