The Jolly Trolley that carries riders along the coast through Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs would shut down if voters approve Amendment 3 in November, transit officials said Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Darden Rice, chief of planning and community affairs for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), told the agency's Transit Riders Advisory Committee that the property tax ballot measure would force the end of 33 years of Jolly Trolley service. "We would have no choice but to end 33 years of Jolly Trolley services," Rice said at the Aug. 19 committee meeting.

The trolley's coastal route runs seven days a week, connecting Clearwater Beach, downtown Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs. That would end.

PSTA Projects $34 Million Loss, Cuts to 25 of 40 Bus Routes

The Jolly Trolley is one piece of a much larger collapse PSTA is projecting. The agency estimates it would lose roughly $34 million in combined funding if Amendment 3 passes, forcing it to eliminate about 25 of its 40 bus routes and cut between 117 and 120 jobs from its 670-person workforce. None of the potential reductions have been approved; they represent a preliminary scenario presented to the advisory committee.

Chief Financial Officer Debbie Leous said estimates from Pinellas County Property Appraiser Mike Twitty's office show PSTA losing about $15 million in direct property tax revenue in fiscal 2028, growing to $22 million the following year. The agency could also lose much of the nearly $3 million it receives through agreements with local governments that would face their own revenue shortfalls.

Federal pandemic relief funding that has helped support PSTA's budget will be exhausted in fiscal 2027, compounding the problem.

Safety Harbor, Treasure Island and Gulfport could lose all PSTA service under the preliminary scenario. Large portions of St. Petersburg and Clearwater could also lose coverage. PSTA Access, which provides transportation for riders with disabilities, could shrink to the minimum required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The planned 727 Airport Express bus between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport would also be scrapped before it launches, Rice said.

Dunedin Faces $7.6 Million Annual Hit to City Budget

The transit threat compounds what Dunedin is already bracing for at the city level. Mayor Maureen Freaney told commissioners at an Aug. 11 special budget hearing that Amendment 3 would cost the city about $4.7 million in its first year and $7.6 million annually after that.

Freaney said at that hearing that the cuts commissioners will face in subsequent years are "way more gut-wrenching" than the initial round. A contingency plan targeting $3 million in departmental savings is due before the City Commission at a special meeting in early September.

Amendment Would Raise Homestead Exemption, Cap Assessment Growth at 5%

The measure would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and reduce the annual assessment-growth cap on non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%. State economists project it would reduce property tax revenues statewide by $5 billion in its first year and nearly $12 billion per year after five years, according to the Florida Phoenix.

The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office estimates a qualifying homeowner could save about $1,200 in 2027 and $2,400 in 2028.

A Leon County circuit judge ruled Aug. 4 that the original ballot language was "clearly and conclusively defective" and ordered it rewritten. Attorney General James Uthmeier released revised language on Aug. 14. Further legal challenges could still affect whether the measure appears on the Nov. 3 ballot in its current form. The amendment needs 60% voter approval to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

PSTA said it is developing a voter outreach plan to explain its projections before the election. No Dunedin City Commission agenda item specifically addressing the Jolly Trolley threat has been scheduled.