Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the top Democrat in state government, says Amendment 1 on next Tuesday's ballot is bad for public safety. In her first public statements on the property tax proposal, Sink said the risk of diminished public services outweighs the estimated tax savings of $240 a year for the average homeowner.

"For 20 dollars a month," Sink said, "I'm not willing to take the risk that my fire service is going to be deteriorated, my schools aren't going to be supported, and I'm not going to get my potholes fixed."

Sink, whose duties include serving as state fire marshal, says she's heard from fire chiefs throughout the state concerned about having to lose positions. She added that she agreed with Florida TaxWatch, which opposes the amendment, and does not think tax policy should be embedded in the Constitution.

"If the policy's in the Constitution and it's not working right, how do you unwind it?" Sink said.