Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood: Amendment 3 is a ‘Disaster in the Making’

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Wednesday spoke his mind on Amendment 3, a ballot measure which stands to eliminate large portions of residential property taxes across Florida. He stated he opposes the amendment over concerns of funding strains to law enforcement. “I want lower taxes just like anyone else, but Amendment 3 is a disaster in the making,” Chitwood wrote on social media. “If it passes, we’re looking at a $37 million hit to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in 2027 alone. That’s 241 deputy positions, or our entire 911 communication center plus 132 deputies.” Chitwood’s concerns over public safety funding are a common argument from Amendment 3’s opponents. Similar objections have been raised by the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police as well as the Florida Professional Firefighters union. Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly in June called pushes to eliminate property taxes ‘politics’, calling on Flagler County’s leaders to inform the public on the potential ramifications of Amendment 3. “The [state] leadership won’t even be there when this goes into effect, they’re not having to deal with it,” he said. Supporters of Amendment 3 have contested that it forces local governments to cut wasteful spending and bloat, not public safety. The text of the amendment restricts county and city governments to use property tax revenue exclusively for “public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration”. “There’s no way around the math. If Amendment 3 passes, public safety funding will get slashed, with no plan to replace it,” Chitwood continued. “That means fewer deputies, slower 911 response, more crime, less safety. It’s a recipe for disaster for our community and our economy. My job is to keep Volusia County safe. Amendment 3 does the opposite.” By denouncing Amendment 3 Sheriff Chitwood is breaking from every state legislator representing Volusia County, not to mention those covering Flagler as well. Among those who voted to put the amendment on the ballot were state senators Tom Leek and Tom Wright, as well as state representatives Webster Barnaby, Richard Gentry, Sam Greco, Bill Partington, and Chase Tramont. All are Volusia and/or Flagler Republicans. According to the Florida Policy Institute, Amendment 3 would recurringly slash local revenue by $12 billion across Florida. Already some local governments have begun eliminating staff positions and reducing expenditures in anticipation of the amendment’s potential passage. In Palm Coast, that’s already meant fewer new Flagler Sheriff’s deputy positions funded by the city. If it receives 60% of the vote or more in November, Amendment 3 would raise the homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 for 2027. In 2028 that figure would again increase to $250,000. Each year thereafter it would increase again indexed to inflation.