Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly presented opposing positions Wednesday on Amendment 3, the ballot measure that would raise Florida's homestead tax exemption to $250,000 over two years, during the WLRN Sunshine Economy Summit in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Donalds told the audience he supports the measure. "I think voters need relief. I think the property owners need relief," Donalds said.
Jolly said he anticipates voting against Amendment 3. "I don't think the math works, and I think we know that because even Ron DeSantis now won't campaign for Amendment 3, and our sheriffs have come out and said, 'Please don't do this. It's going to defund services,'" Jolly said. The two gubernatorial nominees spoke in back-to-back 30-minute panel discussions but were kept separate throughout the event.
The candidates also clashed on hurricane insurance reform. Jolly proposed a sovereign wealth fund that would absorb hurricane and wind insurance burdens for Floridians. "We are not going to solve this without government taking on a larger role in backing this.
"Otherwise, people are going to be priced out of their homes," Jolly said. Donalds said that plan won't work and instead called for eliminating a premium surcharge that contributes to the state's catastrophic fund. "We get through this hurricane season, the Cat Fund is estimated to have somewhere between 13 and 13-and-a-half billion dollars.
"So why do we have a 25% kicker on top to keep filling the Cat Fund, whose statutory limit is $17 billion? My view is to get rid of the kicker. That would lower premiums for every policyholder in the state," Donalds said.
Jolly confirmed earlier this week he will not debate Donalds, making this the first gubernatorial election in 50 years in which Florida voters won't see the nominees face off. "It just became obvious that this is not going to contribute to a more constructive political environment, and that's the bottom line. I understand some people have concerns about it.
"I just promise you, for me, this is a moment bigger than politics," Jolly told reporters after his panel discussion. Donalds said he wants the debate to happen. "He said something about how I lied about him — which is a lie, by the way — and so he doesn't want to debate.
"Well, that's what debates are for: to clarify all that stuff. The ball's in his court," Donalds said. When asked if his decision could change, Jolly said his decision is final. Both candidates share a commitment to keeping Florida free of a state income tax.