Clearwater charities brace for budget cuts if Amendment 3 passes

Voters in Clearwater will decide on Amendment 3 on the November ballot, a measure that offers property tax relief to homeowners but leaves renters without direct financial assistance. Local charity leaders say the tax savings for one group could force local agencies to trim budgets, creating funding gaps for community programs that help families living paycheck to paycheck.

The measure has been on the ballot in Florida for years, but current polling suggests it is closer than usual. The James Madison Institute has tracked seven recent surveys regarding the amendment. Only one of those polls showed support reaching the 60 percent approval threshold required for the measure to pass. The other six surveys showed support hovering near that line but falling short. Analysts note that a large number of voters remain undecided, which could change the final outcome.

Courtney Sanchez, the CEO of United Way Suncoast, explained that while her organization does not rely on local government funding, many of its partner non-profits do. She said that if municipalities scale back operations, the cost will not disappear. Instead, it will shift to community programs and donors.

"There are definitely surprises ahead for what gaps will be created, what gaps that already exist that will widen for ALICE families," Sanchez said. "So, that's when we look to our non-profit partners to come in and help, and that burden will certainly be passed onto our donors, our philanthropists, our community that fund and support our nonprofits then have to provide those services."

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are families with jobs and incomes that are too low to cover basic local expenses. Sanchez noted that these families depend on wrap-around services provided through public schools, such as before and after-school care. She said that while public school cuts are not anticipated, the support services around the schools are vulnerable.

"Although there aren't public school cuts anticipated with Amendment 3's passing, there are services, wrap-around services that ALICE families rely on through public schools, whether that's before-school care, after-school care, our ALICE families living paycheck to paycheck can't miss work," Sanchez said. "They rely on that paycheck to pay bills and survive."

United Way Suncoast leaders are currently monitoring how donor networks might respond to emerging community needs. They have not yet determined the full financial impact on partner non-profits. The organization is preparing a call to action to address potential shortfalls in local assistance efforts.