Dunedin officials say proposed state property-tax repeal could strip about $9 million and force deep service cuts

City of Dunedin officials and outside policy experts warned residents at a public forum that a proposed state constitutional change to eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes could cut roughly $9 million from the city's budget and force permanent reductions in local services.

"For Dunedin, the estimated impact is around $9,000,000," said Jennifer Webb of the Suncoast League of Cities, summarizing the version of House Joint Resolution 203 that advanced farthest this session. Finance Director Les Tyler and City Manager Jennifer Bramley told the forum that the city's general fund totals about $56.8 million and that property taxes account for roughly $18 million of annual revenue.

Why it matters: City staff said the loss would require either deep cuts to services and staffing or a substantial reallocation of the tax burden to non‑homesteaded and commercial properties. Bramley said staff are preparing contingency plans but cautioned that a $9 million shortfall would be "definitively" damaging to local quality of life and municipal programs.

What the city spends: Les Tyler outlined four…