Vote NO on Constitutional Amendment No. 3

VOTE NO ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO 3

As a resident, homeowner and real estate professional for 33 years in Monroe County, I would like to speak out against the No #3 Constitutional Amendment on the November 8 ballot.

Our county has seen a huge increase in property values over the past ten years, which is great for property ownership equity. The problem becomes one of affordability for our needed workers in the Keys. While we enjoy this investment as homeowners, our public workers who depend on our tax dollars for their salaries find themselves priced out of the home market, or barely scraping by because they are underpaid. Many of our public workers who came to work in the Keys because of the lifestyle, have had to leave the area We must keep our quality teachers and other public workers by paying them a decent salary.

A cost of living pay raise would be the correct answer to solve this problem. Instead, Republicans put forward this amendment, which will only decrease taxes for workers who own their homes by about $50. And it will be of no help to those who have not been able to buy property and must continue to rent.

I oppose this amendment because it does nothing to solve the real problem causing our teachers and other workers to struggle financially and gives false hope to those who do not understand how little they will get.

Judy O’Hara Vetrick
Tavernier, FL