PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — With just weeks to go before voters decide the fate of Amendment 3, one of the most talked-about questions across Palm Beach County remains the same: What does it mean for my wallet?
WPTV has been following the debate for months as county leaders, residents and taxpayers weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of the controversial property tax proposal that will appear on the November ballot.
WATCH BELOW: Amendment 3 calculator to launch in Palm Beach County
Now, Palm Beach County homeowners have a new tool aimed at answering that question with personalized numbers.
"We're excited to launch the Amendment 3 calculator, which will let residents, homesteaded residents, actually look up their own property and find out what their taxes could be after Amendment 3 passes, should it pass," Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks said.
The new online Amendment 3 calculator allows homesteaded property owners to enter their address and see an estimate of how the proposed constitutional amendment could affect their property taxes, along with the potential revenue impact on local taxing authorities.
The calculator goes live at 7 a.m. Wednesday on the Property Appraiser's website.
A debate that's been impossible to ignore
Amendment 3 has become a regular topic at county meetings as officials discuss their budgets and what could happen if voters approve the measure.
The amendment requires at least 60% voter approval on Nov. 3.
According to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's Office, the exemption could increase to as much as $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.
School taxes would not receive the same increase.
Supporters argue it would provide much-needed tax relief for homeowners dealing with rising costs.
"I plan to vote to eliminate property taxes," said Gillian Lieberman, a Palm Beach County property owner and real estate professional. "People work hard, and I think everyone that I work with, my colleagues, my friends, my clients, they work hard, and I'd like them to see that money back in their pocket as much as possible."
Lieberman said she believes property owners could use the savings.
"We have such a great city, great infrastructure, great development, and I don't think eliminating property taxes is going to hurt that. I think it's going to allow owners to do more and purchase more so they have less stress when the tax bill comes," she said.
Others are concerned about the potential loss of funding for community services.
Logan Mroczkowski, a Palm Beach County homeowner, pointed to local parks and public amenities that benefit from property tax revenue.
"I work in Lake Worth, and I spent a lot of time at Bryant Park. I spent a lot of time there on my lunch breaks for work, and I know that the property taxes pay for a significant amount of the upkeep, the maintenance, stuff like that," Mroczkowski said. "I'm a big fan of when taxes are utilized to better the community."
While acknowledging the referendum could save him money personally, Mroczkowski said he currently plans to vote against it.
"I am personally of the opinion that I'm probably going to vote no on the referendum. I know it could save me money, but unselfishly, I think it's more important that those taxes are used to better the community," Mroczkowski said.
How much money are we talking about?
Jacks said the potential impact stretches far beyond individual homeowners.
According to Jacks, that equates to roughly "$324 million in tax revenue that would go away."
She noted that's only the county's share.
"And that's just the county. There's certainly many other taxing authorities that would also see similar reductions," Jacks said.
The new calculator is designed to help residents understand both sides of that equation.
"We also wanted people to understand the two sides to Amendment 3, the one side that yes, I, as a homesteader, would save more, but also there's an impact to the many taxing authorities that each of us pay and to sort of share with them what that impact would be when you start bundling together 300,000 homesteads in Palm Beach County, not just my own," Jacks said.
How the calculator works
Residents with a homestead exemption can simply enter their address to generate an estimate.
"You would just put your address into this field here and then of course it just goes down and gives you the data," Jacks explained.
The calculator will show current estimated taxes, projected changes for 2027 and 2028 if Amendment 3 passes, and estimated revenue impacts to local taxing districts.
Jacks said the system will also indicate if a property does not have a homestead exemption and therefore is not eligible for the proposed tax benefit.
The projections are based on 2026 certified property values and millage rates.
She cautioned that future tax bills could still vary.
"That depends on the millage rates, which can change. They could go up, and it also depends on their value, which also could go up," Jacks said.
Because the calculator uses parcel-level data, Jacks believes it can offer a clearer picture than broad statewide estimates.
"I think because we're able to do it at the parcel level, so individually, it's probably one of the more accurate," Jacks said.
The tool also accounts for local differences.
"Absolutely, that's the point," Jacks said when asked whether results will vary depending on where someone lives. "It's your taxes. It's what you're paying."
Helping voters make an informed decision
Jacks emphasized that the Property Appraiser's Office is not advocating for or against the amendment.
"It's really here to educate and nothing more," Jacks said.
Instead, she hopes the calculator gives residents a way to move beyond campaign rhetoric and evaluate the proposal based on their own situation.
"So often these amendments appear on the ballot, and there isn't really a tool or a resource you can go to to say OK, well, how is that going to affect me and we thought this would be a good way to do that," Jacks said.
Ultimately, she said, the goal is simple.
"We're hoping that the public will say, wow, you know, OK, let me look at my numbers and let me make a decision based on my numbers as opposed to all this chatter going on," Jacks said.
For Palm Beach County voters still deciding how they'll cast their ballot in November, that personalized look may arrive just in time.
The Amendment 3 Homestead Calculator becomes available at 7 a.m. Wednesday on the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's website.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.