State representatives tell Lauderhill commission property‑tax changes could shave ~$10M from city budget; urge voter education

State Representative Lisa Dunkley and State Representative Daryl Campbell told the Lauderhill City Commission on June 8 that recent action in Tallahassee will have tangible consequences for local budgets — and asked elected officials to help educate voters ahead of a November ballot question.

Dunkley, who said the regular legislative session ended May 29, described several appropriations she secured for the area including $567,500 for a Lauderhill lift station and nearly $994,000 tucked into a bill for uterine‑fibroid research and related work. She also highlighted a multi‑year home‑hardening tax‑relief package she said will total about $45 million over three years and warned residents to review precise ballot language before voting.

“Many homeowners want property‑tax relief, but residents should get educated before November when that measure gets to the ballot,” Dunkley said, noting that she and colleagues will provide office support and information to constituents.

Daryl Campbell framed the session as chaotic and said lawmakers removed proposed relief and other priorities during negotiations. He told commissioners the legislation as passed did not include funds to offset the revenue shifts to cities and counties and that the state removed a proposed trust fund that might have mitigated local losses.

“We did not get relief dollars,” Campbell said. “They took [the trust fund] out. We’re talking about revenue of billions of dollars.” He added that Broward and Miami‑Dade counties already are preparing service cuts and that his office would lead educational outreach throughout the months before the vote.

City Manager Kenny Hobbs told the commission staff will produce information on the local fiscal impact; later he estimated the legislation’s passage would reduce Lauderhill’s revenue by roughly $10,000,000, set against a general‑fund budget of about $95,000,000. Hobbs said a $10M reduction would touch all city services because the general fund supports police, fire, public works and other core services.

Commissioners pressed the representatives on specifics — whether the measure included offset funding (they were told it did not) and which services stood to be affected; Rep. Campbell cited potential cuts to parks, fire and police and warned that child‑and‑family programs that rely on property‑tax dollars also face losses.

The commission resolved to coordinate local outreach: Dunkley said her office will provide constituent support, Campbell said he would host and attend town halls, and Hobbs said the City Managers’ Association is preparing impact materials specific to each city. The representatives urged residents to read the ballot language and to attend upcoming informational events.

What happens next: Representatives and city staff plan further community education over the summer and fall. The ballot measure will be decided by voters in November; if approved, the commission’s described loss would take effect in calendar 2027, hitting fiscal year 2028 for city budgeting.