Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners — Tuesday, May 24
May 24, 2011
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TaxWatch Trots Out $203 Million in Florida Budget ‘Turkeys’
105 projects targeted by group as Governor Scott looks for line-item veto opportunities
Florida TaxWatch said Tuesday that $203 million in “turkeys” are ready for Governor Rick Scott to pluck from this year’s state budget
- To view the report, click here.
- Political heavyweights gather in Coral Gables today for TaxWatch meeting
$4.6 billion in federal stimulus money stays unspent in Florida
More than two years after the controversial federal-stimulus program began, Florida has yet to spend more than $4.6 billion of its stimulus money, even as the state starts seeing new layoffs of teachers and others paid with stimulus money the past two years.
Florida’s turbulent housing market has had an unintended consequence: Thousands of homeowners don’t pay a dollar in property tax.
Military gets property tax exemption
During this recent legislative session, the Florida Legislature acted on Amendment 2, an amendment that creates an additional homestead exemption for members of the active duty military or military reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard.
Navarre Beach leaseholder property tax lawsuit likely headed to Florida Supreme Court
The question of whether Navarre Beach residents should be exempt from paying property taxes could ultimately be decided by the Florida Supreme Court.
Wall Street Journal: Proposal to Loosen Tax Cap Advances
Assembly Democrats are advancing a measure the would limit growth in property taxes, but would allow local governments to raise levies at a faster clip than the tax cap envisioned by the Cuomo administration.
Thousands of Bay County Delinquent Tax Certificates Up for Bid
The Bay County Tax Collector’s office is preparing to auction delinquent property tax certificates on-line at the end of the week.
Charter school movement exploding in Florida
Mornings at the Charter School of Excellence are an all-out attack on reading.
Government agencies plug budget holes with pension ‘savings’
While many public employees in Volusia and Flagler counties face a cut in pay starting this summer as the state overhauls its retirement system, their employers — cities, counties and school districts — will reap the benefits in cash to help replenish dwindling budget coffers.
Column: Parent Grading Bill to Be Refiled
Florida Representative Kelli Stargel’s parental responsibility bill will come back to the Legislature in the 2012 session of the Legislature and this time with the intention of passing it.
Powerful interests checkmated Florida’s growth management agency
In its 35 years, the state Department of Community Affairs has irritated some of Florida’s most powerful people, including developers, lawyers, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Farm Bureau and a coalition of the state’s biggest landowners.
Michigan: Bloomfield Township voters furious over school merger
After more than a decade of persuasion, campaigns and bad blood, emotions are running higher than ever about the proposal to consolidate the shrinking Lahser and Andover high schools in the Bloomfield Hills School District.
Wall Street Journal: Court Decision Could Upend New Jersey Schools
The New Jersey Supreme Court is expected to deliver its decision on a challenge to Governor Chris Christie’s school-funding cuts, which left schools under-funded by $1.6 billion, on Tuesday morning.
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