Seminole County could lose 475 police, fire workers if Amendment 3 passes

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said Amendment 3 poses the “biggest threat” to the sheriff’s department ever, describing more than 300 jobs cuts, increased 911 response call times and dropping coordination with state and federal law enforcement task forces.

Lemma was not the only public safety official describing job cuts if Amendment 3 passes. The Seminole County Fire Department is also facing a projected 30% loss of staff, another 175 positions. 

Seminole County passed a $1.4 billion budget Tuesday with the looming state constitutional amendment fresh on leaders’ minds, keeping the property tax rate flat from the year prior. The county is cutting five positions in the public works department; the budget also cuts $750,000 for Flock traffic-monitoring cameras, which are being removed after public backlash over privacy concerns.

As part of that budget planning, Seminole County officials also asked all county departments to figure out how the government will manage services with a 20% cut in funding, if Amendment 3 passes. 

Lemma said the Sheriff’s Office would immediately freeze hiring, eliminate training down to the legal minimums, end crime prevention programs and end cooperation with state, federal and regional task forces.

“Simply put, it’s the biggest threat to the office of sheriff that we’ve ever experienced,” Lemma said. 

He said it’s not possible for the cuts to impact services. The sheriff said he sent a letter to deputies about the possible job cuts. 

“Calls in to 911 are likely going to be delayed if they’re not life-threatening emergency situations,” Lemma said. “And I know people will label me as fearmongering. You cannot reduce $41 million and 300 people without a realistic expectation that some services will be compromised. That’s not politics. That’s simple math.”

And jobs cuts would also be coming to the Seminole County Fire Department, which handles calls for car crashes, fires and medical emergencies. Fire Chief Matt Kinley told the board that if Amendment 3 passes, his department would immediately pause all planned construction and maintenance projects,  including a new roof at the Winter Springs fire station, and put that money into capital reserves, as the county provides fire services in the city. 

By 2029, the department would not leave tanker trucks staffed; those vehicles carry water to fires in rural areas where there aren’t fire hydrants. 

And in 2029, the county fire department would lose 30% of its workforce. 

“We lose 175 positions,” Kinley said, explaining that the county has three shifts on every day. “This is more than one entire shift of our organization.”

Some residents have also suggested other Seminole County departments should take money planned for capital projects and put it into operations. But the fire department is unique in that its capital budget is also funded through property taxes, so the funds can be moved around. Elsewhere in the county, money from gas taxes and penny sales tax can only be used for construction, and can’t be used for salaries.

Lemma and Kinley have joined a growing chorus of public safety officers across Florida raising the alarm about Amendment 3. 

Another impact from Amendment 3: Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said the county would have to eliminate its backup 911 call center, defaulting to an already-overloaded Orange County if something happens. 

And with fewer emergency management personnel, transitioning people from shelters at schools to county shelters after a hurricane would likely be delayed – meaning it would take longer for schools to reopen after a storm. 

And the county’s Animal Services department, which operates a “no-kill” shelter, would also have to euthanize animals if it becomes overcrowded. 

“The elimination of the no-kill shelter status is a big hit; it’s gonna hurt us all emotionally,” Harris said. “I’m sorry to bring this to you. We wrestled with it a long, long time. … We just wouldn’t have the staff to do that anymore.” 

What Amendment 3 would do

Amendment 3 is a proposal passed by the Florida Legislature, which is on the ballot for voters in the November general election. 

If 60% of voters vote yes, it would increase the property tax exemption – the tax-free portion of your home’s value – from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2026 and $250,000 in 2027. It does not apply to the property taxes paid to school districts. 

Overall, the amendment is expected to cut more than $119 million from Seminole County’s budget alone, not counting the seven cities. Statewide, it would cut more than $12 billion from government funding, saving homeowners $12 billion when fully implemented. 

In Seminole County, 72 cents of every dollar is already going to public safety. If the county eliminated all funding for every other department – parks and recreation, libraries, road construction and maintenance, public services – the county still would not have cut enough to handle the loss. 

“Theres no question there’s relief needed for the people,” said Seminole County Commissioner Jay Zembower, who represents the Winter Springs area. “The reality is this government (Seminole County) has not started out as a fat, overweight, over-gorging tax revenue entity because the five of us here have mandated those efficiencies come to bear on all those departments. That’s why there wasn’t a (property tax) increase for almost 20 years. But here we are.”

County Commissioner Lee Constantine said that public safety cuts will impact everyone. 

“For those people who have come to me and said, ‘Well, I don’t use parks, and I don’t use libraries, therefore I shouldn’t pay for them’ – everybody needs protection,” Constantine said. “Everyone needs public safety.”

County Commission Chairperson Andria Herr said the plan to cushion the job losses at the fire department by drawing down reserves is not sustainable. Once reserves are spent, they can’t be replenished. 

So job cuts would likely start in year one.

“Those (job) cuts would probably happen sooner – front-loaded, in reality,” Herr said. 

Seminole County Manager Darren Gray said costs for the county government have increased even faster than the inflation consumers have paid. A tower truck, the stereotypical fire truck with the extendable ladder, has increased in cost from $1 million in 2019 to $2.4 million in 2026. 

“I’ve heard folks from the state say why don’t they just go back to their 2019 budget. That is why,” Gray said. “The private sector sets the cost of goods and services to us. We have to publicly bid everything we purchase. Would we love to go back to 2019? Absolutely. But the cost is outpacing the revenue we’re getting.”

Polling done in July suggests the amendment could get more than 60% support, enough to pass. But voters were less likely to support it after learning more of what the cuts could do. 

Bill Hyde, an Oviedo resident who supports Amendment 3, said the presentations from the police and fire departments were what you’d expect. 

“We’ve heard it all before,” Hyde said. “I wasn’t excited. I wasn’t swayed. It doesn’t change my mind.”

Want to contact your elected leaders and weigh in on this topic? Find their contact information here. Have a news tip or opinion to share with OCN? Do that here.

Abe Aboraya is a Report for America corps member.