Will Florida Amendment 3 Threaten Progress on Infant Mortality?

Florida infant mortality has dropped across the Treasure Coast since 1990, falling up to 68% in St. Lucie County according to Florida Department of Health data analyzed by the Miami Herald. That progress now faces a direct fiscal threat from Amendment 3, a proposed ballot measure that would significantly raise homestead tax exemptions and potentially eliminate local property tax revenues that fund maternal health nonprofits, prenatal care, and wrap-around children’s services, healthcare experts warn.

Property Tax Cuts Threaten Treasure Coast Infant Health Funding

The proposed amendment would raise the homestead tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, leaving open the option to abolish property taxes entirely. While the ballot language excludes public schools, it provides no exemptions for children’s services or maternity programs. Sean Boyle, CEO of the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County, told the Miami Herald that about 97% of the council’s revenue comes from property taxes. The council funds over 50 programs serving 66,000 children.

Supporters of the measure argue that homeowners need financial relief. Chuck Bonfiglio, Jr., president of Florida Realtors—whose organization donated $10 million to the political committee Yes On 3—stated that the state can prioritize essential services while providing homeowner relief.

Nonprofits Absorb High-Risk Pregnancies and Deliver Regional Care

Nonprofit healthcare providers handle a vast share of births and specialized care for mothers who face rejection elsewhere. Wilhelmina N. Lewis, president and CEO of Florida Community Health Centers, told the Miami Herald that her nonprofit delivers 66% of the region’s babies. Her organization stepped up its caseload last year after Cleveland Clinic closed its labor and delivery unit in Martin County. If we lose funding, it’s not like we won’t be able to decorate our door for Halloween, Lewis said, as reported by the Miami Herald. That means we won’t be able to pay our staff. Pediatricians. Nurse midwives. OBGYNs. We have to be able to compete with the private market to retain quality clinicians.

Among those who relied on these nonprofit services is Jessica Bright, who entered a Belle Glade rehabilitation facility in 2018 to address a decade of substance abuse before discovering she was nine weeks pregnant. After multiple private doctors rejected her high-risk pregnancy due to her age and past drug use, Florida Community Health Centers took her in immediately.

County Health Declines and Financial Costs of Preterm Births

Data from the Florida Department of Health illustrates long-term improvements in infant mortality across the region, defined as the number of babies dying before their first birthday per 1,000 live births:

• St. Lucie County recorded a 68% decrease, falling from 10.2 in 1990 to 3.3.
• Martin County recorded a 63% decrease, falling from 12 in 1990 to 4.4.
• Indian River County recorded a 49% decrease, falling from 8.1 in 1990 to 4.1.

Despite these overall gains, racial disparities persist. Black infants remain more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday as White infants, though St. Lucie County saw an 80% decline in Black infant mortality from 1990 to 2024, according to Sean Boyle. Losing the funding network could reverse these trends and escalate public healthcare costs. A study in the peer-reviewed Cureus Journal of Medical Science cited by the Miami Herald notes that high infant mortality costs the United States approximately $12 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity.

November Ballot Vote Determines Future Resource Availability

Voters will decide the outcome of Amendment 3 in November 2026. Health leaders maintain that any reduction in property tax revenues will force immediate program cuts that directly impact prenatal access. Megan McFall, CEO of Indian River County Healthy Start, emphasized the foundational nature of these services to the Miami Herald, stating that communities are only as strong as their youngest residents.