Fired Up About Amendment 1

Jennifer Butler of Spring Hill doesn't own a house yet and, given the devastating decline of the housing market, said she doesn't plan to take the plunge anytime soon.
"I'm way too scared to think about that right now," she says.
But for all the people she knows, including her sister, who she says are facing possible foreclosure, Butler intends to vote for Amendment 1, which would cut property taxes.
It will bring the tax relief people need right now, Butler believes.
But Frank Sweeney, also of Spring Hill, emphatically said he will vote no on the amendment because he is afraid schools will lose money, even though the doubled homestead exemption would not apply to school taxes.
Sweeney doesn't believe the amendment will bring the relief supporters claim.
And so it went Monday, when Hernando Today conducted person-on-the-street interviews eliciting comments on Amendment 1.
The amendment, which places limits on property tax assessments, is expected to attract scores of voters to the polls Tuesday.
Charles Haig of Spring Hill said he will vote for the amendment because it sounds like it would be a life-saver for homeowners who are crying out for one.
However, he is wary.
"In a sense, it could be too good to be true, said Haig, district chaplain for the American Legion of Brooksville.
Haig said he's turning 80 and needs to protect his income. Proponents say the passage of Amendment 1 will net the average homeowner about $240 annually.
Others have no such reservations. They are either passionately for or against the amendment.
"I don't want my property taxes to go way up," said Susan Skicewicz, who owns 20 acres in Bushnell and plans to vote for it.
Skicewicz said she doesn't want anyone tampering with Save Our Homes, which places a 3 percent cap on how much a person's assessed home value can rise each year.
Julie Clark of Hudson is just as adamant about voting against the amendment.
"It's a good idea, but the state has got to have funds to run on," she said.
If passed, she said the state would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars that could affect services.
Clark said Amendment 1 may lead to reduced government spending but is too fraught with unknown variables, she said.
"I agree with some portions of it (but) when in doubt, don't," she said.
Martha Duryea said the doubling of the homestead exemption would save her money because she's lived in her Spring Hill home for 22 years.
"I'd like to see it pass," Duryea said.
Melinda Edwards, who lives in Tampa but works in a local restaurant, said she didn't know enough about the issue yet to venture an opinion. She planned to do her research on the Internet before heading to the voting booth.
"I just haven't followed it as much as I wanted to," Edwards said.