Parkland's Property Tax Vote Has a Date Built Into It, and Newcomers Should Know It

Two Parkland families could close on similar houses on the same street a few weeks apart and end up with very different non-school property tax bills for years. Under Amendment 3, the measure on Florida's November 3 ballot, the deciding factor would be the date each family became Florida residents. It would have nothing to do with the house or the price.

According to the state's official ballot summary, people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would get the existing homestead exemption when they first qualify. The larger exemption would start "with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution." If voters approve it, the amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.

For anyone moving to Parkland from out of state, that date matters more than any other in the measure. It also lines up with a second date that Broward property owners already live by.

Two dates, one day apart

The Broward County Property Appraiser's homestead page states the existing rule plainly: "By law, January 1 of each year is the date on which permanent residence is determined." Amendment 3 would add a one-time test the day before, December 31, 2026, that sorts homesteads into two tracks.

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Amendment 3 FAQ gives the most detailed public explanation of the split so far. Someone who is a Florida resident by December 31, 2026 but hasn't bought a home yet would still qualify for the higher exemption whenever they buy and apply for homestead. Someone who becomes a resident on or after January 1, 2027 would start with $50,000, adjusted for inflation beginning in 2028, applied to the first $50,000 of assessed value for non-school taxes. After four years of holding a Florida homestead exemption, that owner would move to the larger amount starting January 1 of the fifth year.

The last row applies to everyone. School levies keep only the first $25,000 of assessed value exempt, so every Parkland homestead would still get a school tax bill.

There's a practical gap as well. BCPA's current guidance lists proof of residency for the existing exemption: a Florida driver's license, or a Florida ID for non-drivers, plus Florida voter registration or a power or water bill. That guidance doesn't yet say how the separate December 31 test would be documented. The Pinellas FAQ notes that "additional administrative procedures may be established through implementing legislation."

What the gap looks like in dollars

Picture a home assessed well above $250,000, compared in 2028. One owner gets a $250,000 non-school exemption. The newer resident's exemption starts at $50,000 and begins adjusting for inflation in 2028, so the gap will be a bit smaller than $200,000. Using the unadjusted $200,000 as a round illustration, that's how much assessed value would be taxed for one owner and exempt for the other.

At this year's rates, here is what that $200,000 would cost from just two of the non-school levies on a Parkland bill. Broward County's FY2026–27 millage resolution, tied to its September 22, 2026 hearing, lists a county-purpose rate of 5.6658 mills. TAPinto Parkland reported that the city proposed keeping its rate at 4.2979 mills going into its September 23 final hearing. One mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, so the county levy on that $200,000 comes to about $1,133 and the city levy, at the proposed rate, to about $860. Together that's close to $2,000 a year from two levies, before any other non-school taxing district.

Those rates are this year's numbers, and Amendment 3 puts pressure on exactly those rates.

Parkland's side of the ledger

At the city's September 14, 2026 commission meeting, Parkland's finance director explained why the city takes the measure seriously. Property taxes are 61% of Parkland's general fund revenue, "more than all of the other revenues combined." Public safety and fire make up 47% of expenditures.

She estimated Amendment 3 would cost the city $4.3 million in fiscal year 2028 and $8.5 million in fiscal year 2029, once the exemption reaches $250,000. She called the second figure "more than 20% of the ad valorem revenue." She also said the amendment creates no state trust fund and includes no provision to replace lost revenue. The ballot summary also directs the Legislature to set up a way for counties and cities to raise the exemption up to full assessed value. She noted that whatever lawmakers do there "would not be going back to the vote."

The city is already planning around the vote. Showing a sample of next year's capital items at that meeting, she said:

"Most of these projects are going to be on hold pending the outcome of that decision in November."

She made exceptions for necessities such as a generator at the fire station, and said items like a mobile stage drew the most scrutiny.

TAPinto Parkland reported on October 5 that, according to city officials, less than 24% of a resident's property tax bill goes to the city, yet that share funds more than 60% of city services. In other words, the city's slice of the bill is small for the owner and large for the city budget.

Where replacement revenue would land

This is where the residency line and the budget gap meet. The finance director walked the commission through a menu of possible responses. She framed them as options, and none has been adopted.

1. Raise the millage rate. That would increase taxes "on values over the exemption amount, or on non-homestead properties," which she described as rental properties or commercial businesses.
2. Raise other taxes and fees. Examples were the fire assessment, the utility tax rate, and future special assessments.
3. Cut spending. Options included reducing events, programs and service levels, including public safety, and delaying repairs, maintenance and infrastructure projects.

She also said many people are calling the measure a "tax shift."

Now look at the first option next to the residency table. If Parkland, or any other non-school levy, raised its rate to cover the gap, the extra tax would fall on value above the exemption. A homestead owner with $250,000 exempt has less value above that line than a newer resident with $50,000 exempt. A buyer arriving from another state in 2027 would get the smaller exemption and pay any higher rate on more of their home's value, for at least four years.

The spending side is just as concrete. The finance director listed possibilities including eliminating the city's senior programs, "probably at least half the city events," some annual contributions to nonprofits, and travel. Other possibilities were cutting landscaping from two cuts a month to one, reducing field maintenance, and leasing or privatizing city buildings, with the tennis center given as an example. New parks or other large capital projects would likely need a general obligation bond, which would go to voters.

Coral Springs is running the same math

Next door, Coral Springs published its own estimates on a city page about the amendment: annual property tax revenue reductions of $14,546,787 and $26,853,723. Coral Springs Talk reported that the city described those as the first-phase and full-exemption figures, and that property taxes are 47.8% of Coral Springs' revenue. The same outlet reported that the city manager said no service cuts, tax increases or fee increases had been decided.

For anyone choosing between the two cities, the useful comparison is dependence. Property taxes make up 61% of Parkland's general fund and 47.8% of Coral Springs' revenue. The more a city relies on that one source, the bigger the share of its budget the amendment would affect.

What a 2027 arrival is weighing

Even before Amendment 3, Parkland's levy was already moving with home values. TAPinto Parkland reported a proposed FY2027 levy of $39,176,896, a 4.8% increase driven by rising assessed values, with no change to the proposed rate. The amendment would also cut the yearly assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%. That would slow the growth of the tax base the city could turn to, which leaves value above homestead exemptions as a larger share of what remains.

For relocating buyers, the timing questions are real. BCPA lists the 2027 homestead filing period as March 3, 2026 through March 1, 2027. BCPA's homebuyer estimator uses an average Broward rate of 19.8394 mills based on current-year rates, and it doesn't model Amendment 3. The Pinellas FAQ says plainly that savings will vary with assessed value, existing exemptions, Save Our Homes benefit and local millage rates.

Broward voters decide on November 3, and early voting runs through November 1. Parkland's Mayor Rich Walker, State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky and Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar appeared at the Parkland Chamber's town hall on the measure, according to Parkland Talk.

Quick answers

Does Amendment 3 affect school taxes? No. Only the first $25,000 of a homestead's assessed value would stay exempt from school levies, the same as under current law.

I moved to Florida this year but haven't bought yet. Which track am I on? According to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser, people who are Florida residents by December 31, 2026 would qualify for the higher exemption whenever they buy and apply for homestead.

Can a 2027 arrival get the $250,000 exemption right away? No. The ballot summary starts the larger exemption with the fifth year of exemption for anyone who was not a Florida resident on December 31, 2026.

Has Parkland decided what it would cut or raise? No. The options the finance director presented on September 14 are a planning list. She said the first step if the measure passes would be another strategic planning session with the commission.

This is general information about a ballot measure, not tax, legal or financial advice. Your exemption and timing depend on your own facts, so check them with the Broward County Property Appraiser or a tax professional.

If you're planning a move to Parkland and the December 31 date falls in the middle of your timeline, I'm glad to map out the search and closing calendar with you, and to point you to the property appraiser or a tax professional for the exemption questions. Timothy Byrne has worked in North Broward through plenty of tax-law changes. Let's connect.