COTI Conversation

COTI Conversation – Property Tax Amendment 3: Understanding Impacts & Unintended Consequences

Click here to register

You are invited to attend the next COTI Conversation that will address the upcoming Florida ballot measure, Amendment 3, which proposes changes to property tax calculations for homesteaded properties, as well as other changes regarding how cities, like Sanibel, can fund city services. This program, entitled “Property Tax Amendment 3: Understanding Impacts & Unintended Consequences,” is a follow-up to the COTI Conversation hosted on the topic this past January.

The program will be held at the Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, September 30 , 2026. It will also be livestreamed via Zoom for out-of-town residents.

For this event, COTI is collaborating with the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Sanibel to produce the program. It is a free program, but registration is required. To register, visit here.

The speakers for this program will be Holly D. Smith, Sanibel Councilwoman and immediate Past President of the Florida League of Cities, and John Lai, President and CEO of the Sanibel-Captiva and Ft. Myers Chambers of Commerce.

In her role as President of the Florida League of Cities, Ms. Smith traveled the state as the League analyzed the potential Constitutional amendment’s impact on Florida municipalities and other stakeholders. She has led numerous briefings statewide on its implications for municipal revenue and local governance. Now that the amendment’s wording has been finalized following court rulings, Ms. Smith will share with the audience the broader impact to Florida counties and municipalities, and, in her role as City Councilmember, specifics on how the proposed amendment would affect Sanibel should it pass.

“Amendment 3 will change how cities and counties are funded across every corner of Florida. Voters deserve to understand exactly how, before they head to the polls. My goal isn’t to tell anyone how to vote. It’s to walk through this complicated issue so voters can weigh the tradeoffs for themselves.”— Holly D. Smith

As a business leader in Sanibel and Captiva and regionally through the Ft. Myers Chamber, John Lai brings an important perspective to the potential economic impacts of Amendment 3. Reductions in ad volorem taxes will likely cause municipalities to seek alternative sources of revenue that could impact businesses and nonprofits. The workforce that organizations count on could also be impacted through increased rents to offset expenses placed on non-homesteaded rental properties.

“The chambers feel it exceedingly important to present information that is necessary to sift through all of the potential unintended consequences and provide as much perspective as possible. This event allows the discussion from both the business community and city perspective.” — John Lai.

Amendment 3 is being presented as a straightforward effort to reduce property taxes for Florida homeowners. But for Sanibel and the rest of the state, the question is considerably more complicated.

All are encouraged to attend either in-person or by Zoom to help them make an informed decision before casting a vote in the November election.