<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2CyMFU_1H08xujY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2CyMFU_1H08xujY00" width="700" height="394" >ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city leaders are bracing for the budget impact of Amendment 3, which is expected to reduce property taxes and could leave local governments with less money to fund services.“I was devastated when Amendment 3 passed,” City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said during this week’s City Council meeting. She said voters may not have considered how reduced property-tax revenue could affect city budgets.“I remember I said that night, we can’t tighten the belt if we don’t have pants,” Sheehan said. “This is a 90 percent budget cut.”Sheehan warned that cuts could affect services residents rely on, including street and traffic lights. “If there’s no one to pay the bill for the street lights and the traffic lights, it’s gonna be catastrophic for this state,” she said.She is looking to the state for help, pointing to a proposed legislative session to address spending after Amendment 3 takes effect. Sheehan said she hopes lawmakers will protect police and fire services.“I’m hoping that in the legislative session they promised in the amendment to keep police and fire whole,” she said. “Police and fire is 54% of our budget alone.”Mayor Buddy Dyer said Amendment 3 fell short by 10 points in two Central Florida counties, including Orange County. He said Orlando has already taken steps in this year’s budget to prepare for a potential shortfall.Those steps include pausing new positions in all departments except public safety and creating a budget stabilization fund. The city has set aside some of this year’s fiscal savings to help protect future budgets, Dyer said.But he said efficiency measures alone will not make up for the expected reductions in the city’s discretionary funding.“I can tell you that efficiency alone will not offset the major reductions that we are going to see to our discretionary money,” Dyer said. “That’s our general fund money.”Dyer said the general fund supports public safety and quality-of-life services, including more than garbage collection. The city will face “some difficult decisions,” he said.</div></body>

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city leaders are bracing for the budget impact of Amendment 3, which is expected to reduce property taxes and could leave local governments with less money to fund services. “I was devastated when Amendment 3 passed,” City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said during this week’s City...

Orlando officials warn Amendment 3 could force difficult budget cuts

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