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Council warned: homestead-exemption amendment could cut Miami Gardens' general fund by about $10M in Year 1
Summary
City staff told council a statewide ballot amendment to raise the homestead exemption could reduce property-tax revenue by roughly $9.7M–$10M in Year 1 and about $14M when a "super exemption" takes effect, forcing program cuts and planning for restorations if the measure fails.
Deputy City Manager Craig Clay told council members that two recently passed state measures—identified in the presentation as "SB 1134" (described as a DEI-related bill) and a joint resolution (HJR 1F) to put a homestead-exemption amendment on the November ballot—could materially shrink Miami Gardens’ property-tax base over time.
Clay explained the ballot measure’s first step would raise the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 and later to $250,000 under a "super exemption," with the Legislature allowed to increment the exemption by inflation each year thereafter until potential elimination of property taxes. He said the presentation’s Year 1 loss to the general fund was about $9.7 million (presenter rounded elsewhere to about $10,000,000) and estimated Year 2 losses around $14,000,000. Clay cautioned officials that timing and the rate of inflation make precise long-term calculations impossible now.
