By Romy Ellenbogen
Miami Herald
(TNS)
Florida’s attorney general, a longtime ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, is casting doubt on the property tax amendment the governor initially pushed.
On Thursday, under a judge’s order, James Uthmeier released a rewritten ballot summary for the property tax proposal that will appear before voters in November.
When Uthmeier put the new proposal forward, he issued a statement critiquing the amendment itself—a notable bit of pushback considering that DeSantis’ office authored the initial amendment.
Uthmeier said the property tax proposal “could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency” and the involvement of “key stakeholders” like law enforcement.
“No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process,” Uthmeier said Thursday.
The Florida Sheriffs Association earlier this month said it was “significantly concerned” about the property tax proposal, which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3.
DeSantis had for more than a year pushed for a major property tax overhaul without presenting a specific plan.
In late May, he unveiled an idea to raise the homestead exemption for most Floridians to $250,000 by 2028, and then to increase with inflation.
Lawmakers amended his plan to protect property taxes going to schools and then passed it in a speedy special session. Since then, DeSantis has said he will vote for the amendment, but won’t campaign behind it.
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No Florida politician or group has so far stepped up as the main backer of the property tax plan.
Uthmeier’s statement makes clear he won’t fill that role.
He offered no praise for the property tax proposal. He noted that he could rewrite only the ballot summary, not the amendment language, based on the court order.
“If it does not pass, I look forward to working with the legislature and our law enforcement leaders on comprehensive tax relief that protects public safety,” he said in the statement.
Uthmeier for years worked as DeSantis’ chief of staff until the governor appointed him attorney general in February 2025. Uthmeier is running to keep his seat and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Uthmeier, along with another DeSantis ally, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, have also broken away from the governor to endorse U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for governor.
DeSantis has criticized Donalds and not offered a formal endorsement for any Republican gubernatorial candidate.
Photo caption: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a press conference in January 2026 as Gov. Ron DeSantis looks on. (AG James Uthmeier/Facebook)
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©2026 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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Tags: ballot measures, Florida, property tax, property taxes, Taxes
