Proposed Constitutional Amendments, Youth Assembly, and more
- IRNA
- 15 minutes ago
- 6 min read
September 5, 2026
Property tax isn't the only thing on your ballot
Amendment 3 has soaked up all the oxygen, and fairly so. But when your sample ballot shows up in October, you'll find three state amendments, not one. All three were put there by the Legislature, all three need 60% to pass, and all three touch the money that pays for things like lagoon improvements.
Amendment 1 (Budget Stabilization Fund). Raises the cap on the state's rainy day fund from 10% to 25% of net general revenue, and requires an annual transfer of $750 million or whatever it takes to reach the cap, whichever is less. Saving in good years isn't a bad instinct. But general revenue is the same pot that funds Florida Forever, springs restoration and lagoon appropriations, and we spend every session fighting for those line items already. A bigger locked box means a smaller pot to argue over.
Amendment 2 (agricultural tangible personal property). Exempts equipment and other tangible personal property kept on land classified as agricultural and used for producing agricultural products or for agritourism, starting with the 2027 tax year. State economists project no hit to state revenue and at least $28.7 million a year less for local governments statewide. Two things worth noticing. Agritourism rides along with farming in the exemption, and one legislator's objection during debate was that there are no guardrails and the benefit tilts toward large operations with multiple property accounts. In a county where agricultural land is the main thing standing between us and the next annexation request, how we tax that land matters.
Amendment 3 (Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes). The big one. Legislative staff estimate the cut to local non-school property tax revenue at roughly $4.95 billion in FY 2027-28 and $8.78 billion in FY 2028-29. Two other provisions: it drops the assessment increase limit on non-homestead property from 10% to 5% a year, and it limits how counties and municipalities may use ad valorem revenue to specific purposes. That second piece is a home rule question as much as a tax question. Stormwater utilities, septic-to-sewer match money, conservation land management, code enforcement on the ones who ignore the fertilizer ordinance (those are local decisions today, made by people you might see out and about around town).
Here's the through-line. Almost every water quality win we've had in Indian River County was paid for locally, or with local dollars used to pull down state and federal money. Cut the local base three different ways in one election and the projects move to the back of the county's to-do list.
This is the reason to read all three before you fill in the ovals, and to ask every county and municipal candidate: if these pass, what gets cut first? The full text is available here.
One more thing worth knowing is that no citizen initiative qualified for the 2026 ballot at all. Twenty-two were filed. Zero made it. The Right to Clean Water amendment is still out there gathering signatures, and it isn't on this one. That's not an accident. The Legislature has spent the last several sessions raising the bar on citizen petitions (2025's HB 1205 even blocked supervisors of elections from verifying signatures for three months), so the only things that reach your ballot are the things Tallahassee wants there. Keep that in mind when you read these three. Then read them, ask your candidates about them, and vote in November.
PFAS Well Water Testing
IRNA is offering free, certified lab testing for PFAS ("forever chemicals") in private drinking water wells. Sign up, submit your water sample, and get your results, plus learn what they mean for your health.
We are especially searching for wells at or near Blue Cypress Lake, Fellsmere, Gifford, and Wabasso. There are only a few tests left! Reach out today!
Open to Indian River County home and business owners on private wells only (not connected to municipal water). Questions? Contact Missy@IndianRiverNA.com
On Saturday, September 12, the Marine Resources Council and the Environmental Learning Center are hosting the 2026 Youth Action Assembly at the ELC in Vero Beach, 8:30am to 5:00pm. It's free, and it's open to students in grades 6-12 who live, study, work, or spend time anywhere in the 156-mile Indian River Lagoon watershed.
IRNA is part of this team. Our Lagoon Committee Co-Chair, Missy Weiss, sits on the 22nd Indian River Lagoon Steering Committee that shaped the day's program, alongside colleagues from MRC, the ELC, Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School and more.
Students will learn about the lagoon's real problems (water quality, pollution sources, habitat loss), hear from working scientists and advocates, then break into small facilitated groups on pollution reduction, habitat restoration, community education, or policy. Each group builds a concrete action plan and presents it. Participants are asked to follow through on at least one item afterward.
No science background required. No prior activism required. Registration is open now, and sponsorships are available to keep the day free for every student who wants a seat. Share this email with a parent or youth who might be interested and help us pack the room!
A brighter look for 14th Avenue (Hometown News) - The City of Vero Beach has partnered with Florida Power and Light to replace twenty-eight aging streetlights along 14th Avenue with modern LED fixtures over a four-week period.
Boca firm awarded two Sebastian shoreline projects (Hometown News) - The Sebastian Community Redevelopment Board and City Council unanimously awarded a $285,368 contract to Boca Raton-based B&Z Construction to dredge the Main Street Boat Ramp and stabilize the shoreline at the Swing and Bench Park.
Three Corners: Hold Your Horses! (Vero Minute) - The Vero Beach City Council has approved an additional 30-day delay to finalize the $250 million Three Corners master developer agreement to ensure the project meets the community's long-term needs.
Vero Beach fixing boardwalk damaged by Hurricane Nicole (TCPalm) - The Vero Beach City Council unanimously approved a $1.8 million construction bid as part of a nearly $3 million project to rebuild the Humiston Beach boardwalk before the start of turtle nesting season.
Indian River sheriff wants workaround, state order to remove Flock cameras (TCPalm) - Following a state directive to remove automated license plate readers from highway rights of way, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers is searching for alternative ways to keep utilizing the Flock cameras by potentially moving them to private property.
Buffers
Vegetated buffers are the simplest way to keep your stormwater pond clean, and September (Stormwater Awareness Week) is a good time to start one. Summer storms wash oil, fertilizer, and sediment off roadways and lawns, and stormwater ponds catch a lot of it before it reaches the lagoon. A planted edge makes them much better at the job.
Leaving even a 3-foot "no mow" strip of 10-inch grass along the shoreline improves water quality and cuts down on algae blooms. The roots take up excess water and hold the soil in place, and the buffer filters pollutants before they hit the pond. It also keeps grass clippings (roughly 3% nitrogen by weight) out of the water.
You can go further. Adding native shrubs and trees between homes, plus wetland plants at the water's edge, gets you a "best" buffer that fights every major cause of erosion and supports wading birds. That's what surrounds the Lagoon House pond, and it's a big reason the water stays as clear as it does.
If your pond is HOA-managed, pass this along to your board. The MRC sent out the below graphic and it is a good one.
Who's getting data center 'dirty money?' (VoteWater) -This article highlights how data center developers in Florida are making substantial campaign contributions to state politicians despite growing public opposition to their proposed projects.
Unfinished Florida school disappoints school board member (TCPalm) - The new Tradition Lakes K-8 school in Port St. Lucie is opening on August 17 after a one-week delay, though parts of the $76 million campus will remain an active construction site.
Florida school district selling surplus downtown property (TCPalm) - The local school district has partnered with real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield to list its former Exceptional Student Education Center in downtown Vero Beach, along with several other properties, as surplus real estate to potentially fund future capital and maintenance projects.
Koa Bay surf park plans scrapped for Florida data center. What we know (TCPalm) - Facing funding difficulties and site constraints from existing power lines, developers have submitted a rezoning application to replace a previously approved surf park in Fort Pierce with a new data center and commercial retail complex.
Florida group wants a hospital; but there are height, size concerns (TCPalm) - An investors group, which includes former county officials, is proposing a third hospital for Indian River County that would require variances to local size and height limits to move forward.
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