County Administrator warns of potential cuts to sheriff’s office, key services if Amendment 3 passes

Sarasota County could see major cuts to critical services if Amendment 3 passes at the ballot box in November, with the Sheriff’s Office alone standing to lose more than $50 million of the property tax revenue it currently receives, new projections show.

Those figures show what could happen within the first two years of Amendment 3 passing and follow months of concerns from local officials across the Suncoast who say the rollback would be devastating to the budgets that fund parks, libraries and public safety.

“I’m not saying cut $35 million out of the sheriff’s office, but if you applied that same model we talk about so frequently, that’s what those numbers would look like to put it into perspective,” said County Administrator Jonathan Lewis.

The figures assume cuts would be made proportionally based on current funding levels and allocations; no funding decisions have been finalized.Lewis warned commissioners at a budget workshop Friday that the county would suffer $134 million in revenue losses during the first two years of the plan if Florida voters advance the referendum to expand the homestead tax discount.

That figure reflects about $6 million less than a Florida Association of Counties estimate in June.

“It’s not my job to tell people how to vote,” Lewis said. “It’s my job to make sure they have the information when they’re going to vote, so that they can make the best decision for them and hopefully our state.”

Amendment 3, added to November’s ballot by the Florida Legislature, would increase the homestead exemption for primary residences up to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

County programs that collect their own tax assessments could be hardest hit: Emergency Services would lose about $17.5 million during the first two years. Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program would lose another $8.6 million.

And the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office — which accounts for the largest share of the county’s general fund spending — could face $54 million in cuts over two years based on the county’s current funding model, Lewis said.

Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis | Photo by Derek Gilliam, Suncoast Searchlight

County Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger said the property tax cuts could send the county “scrambling” to patch together budget fixes.

Commissioners also indicated they will take a hard look at the county’s sales tax program as a way to alleviate budget pressures if the amendment passes.

“The elephant in the room is what happens in the November election because I think that changes the character of everything we look at,” Cutsinger said.

As local property values skyrocketed in recent years, so did property tax collection. Sarasota County’s total budget increased by 73% from fiscal years 2023 through 2026 — climbing to $2.5 billion.

But in an election year with affordability looming large, commissioners tightened their belts over the summer. The fiscal year 2027 budget is projected to drop about 4% — with planned cuts to the departments that oversee new development, roads and public transportation.

 Every state legislator who represents Sarasota County voted in favor of Amendment 3 — except for Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), who was excused from the vote.

The Sarasota County Commission has scheduled a final hearing to approve the next budget on Sept. 23.

Christian Casale is a local government/politics reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. Email him at christian@suncoastsearchlight.org