On November 3, Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that could reshape how local governments — and the organizations they fund — pay for the services communities rely on. For ReDefiners, that's not an abstract policy conversation. It's directly connected to how our free language classes stay free.
This article isn't here to tell you how to vote. It's here to make sure you understand what's on the ballot, and why it matters to programs many of our students, families, and neighbors depend on.
The measure is House Joint Resolution 1F, which will appear before voters as "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes." It needs approval from at least 60% of voters to pass. If it does, it would raise the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes from $25,000 to $150,000 starting January 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, with the exemption growing with inflation after that. It would also cut the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property — commercial buildings, rentals, second homes — from 10% to 5%, and it would limit how counties and municipalities can spend their remaining property tax revenue.
It's easy to think of property taxes as simply "county government money." In practice, they also fund independent special districts: libraries, water management districts, mosquito control, and Children's Services Councils like Hillsborough's Children's Board. The Florida Nonprofit Alliance specifically names Children's Services Councils among the entities likely to feel this measure's effects.
The Florida Association of Counties estimates Hillsborough County government alone could see roughly $219.5 million less in the first year and $373.6 million less in the second — though that figure reflects county government levies specifically, not every taxing authority operating in the county.
According to the Children's Board's own 2025 Annual Report, about 91% of its revenue — $74.9 million of $82 million — comes directly from property taxes. That funding supported 167 programs and partnerships last year, including 12 new initiatives, with $66.5 million invested directly into programs serving 166,793 children and families across the county.
ReDefiners is one of those partner organizations. If you've seen "Funding for services generously provided by the Children's Board of Hillsborough County" on our posts, this is what that means in practice: a meaningful share of our free English, Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin classes exist because of this funding model.
We haven't found a Children's Board-specific dollar estimate of this measure's impact — the public fiscal estimates available so far are at the county government level, not for individual special districts. The Florida Nonprofit Alliance is currently surveying nonprofits statewide to better understand these effects, and we'll share more specific information as it becomes available.
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Whatever your view on this amendment, we hope you'll head to the ballot with a clear understanding of what's at stake for programs like ours. Make sure you're registered to vote.