A wave of proposed constitutional amendments in Florida aiming to significantly reduce or eliminate property taxes has ignited sharp concern over potential cuts to fire departments and emergency services across the state.

During a committee hearing on Tuesday, local officials, firefighters and Democratic lawmakers warned that the measures could “starve” essential services by removing a primary funding source.

Under the draft proposals — approved along party lines by the state House last week — local governments would be barred from reducing law-enforcement funding regardless of revenue loss, but no such guarantee exists for fire, ambulance or emergency-medical services.

Opponents argued this asymmetry would leave fire and EMS departments vulnerable when tax revenue evaporates.

“The financial impact these bills will have on our fire and EMS services could be devastating,” said a rural fire chief testifying before the State Affairs Committee, noting that more than 30 percent of his county’s EMS budget comes from property taxes.

Without alternative revenue safeguards, officials warned, departments may be forced to reduce staffing, limit emergency coverage or even shut stations — undermining public safety in small towns and rural communities in particular.

The proposals reflect a broader push to ease the burden on homeowners, following steep increases in property assessments since the pandemic.

Supporters argue the reforms deliver needed relief and return money to taxpayers.

Some Republican backers also suggested fire services could instead be funded through special taxing districts, increased fees or municipal service assessments — though critics say these mechanisms lack clarity and may prove unreliable.

Local governments expressed alarm over uncertain futures: many rely on property-tax revenue not only for first responders, but for public schools, sanitation, infrastructure maintenance and other essential services.

Without a clearly defined replacement revenue stream, city managers warned, many could face structural deficits.

With the 2026 ballot likely to include one or more of the proposed amendments, communities are bracing for what could be a dramatic re-ordering of public-service finance — and a potentially dangerous reduction in fire and emergency coverage in regions already stretched thin.

The coming months are shaping up as a critical period of debate over whether property-tax relief will come at the cost of public safety.

The House Select Committee on Property Taxes plans further hearings before the measures move to the full Legislature, with final decisions expected early next year.