A proposed Florida constitutional amendment that would slash homeowners’ property taxes has Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell warning that public safety could pay the price. Property tax revenue makes up 99 percent of his department’s budget, covering patrol deputies, court security, the jail, and 911 dispatchers. Prummell says $47 million in cuts could eliminate 275 of 332 law enforcement positions.
The numbers give his argument weight. Countywide response time currently sits at three minutes and 45 seconds. In 2024, when the department carried 60 vacancies, that figure rose to five minutes and 18 seconds. Prummell also raised concerns about deputy safety, noting that fewer officers on the road means less backup when things go wrong. Not everyone sees it the same way. Port Charlotte resident Marcia Knights told reporters she’d welcome the tax relief but believes some policing dollars should shift toward social work.
Amendment 3 is a constitutional change, not a law, which means undoing it later would take another statewide vote. The voter registration deadline is October 22. How are you weighing tax relief against emergency response times? Let us know in the comments.
