Welcome to the Florida Association of Counties

Chris Holley and FAC President Commissioner Teresa Jacobs will be traveling the state to meet with our members to discuss critical issues such as property tax reform, next session, the TBRC and FAC benefits. The tour will be coming to a county near you so please make your plans to attend. A complete schedule of dates can be found in the column on the right. This is a great opportunity to meet with FAC and your neighboring counties.

Update from Tallahassee

As you know, Florida citizens will head to the polls on Jan. 29, 2008 to decide the fate of Florida’s property tax system. While the precise impacts of the constitutional amendment are not fully known, voters are being asked to make a critical decision that could profoundly undermine home rule in every county across the state. This is more than just a measure promoted as one to cap property taxes, but one that hinders our ability to make decisions affecting our communities.

“Immediate property tax relief...was achieved by limiting our ability to provide necessary and popular services at levels we were committed to ..” Randall Reid Alachua County Administrator

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Wetlands protection studied

The House Environment and Natural Resources Council is currently conducting an interim project on wetlands regulation in Florida. As part of that project, House staff is surveying municipal and county governments regarding their wetlands programs. FAC recently distributed this survey to the counties, and will compile the results and provide them to staff in the House.

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FAC Introduces new staff

FAC is pleased to announced it has hired John Wayne Smith to lead the legislative team in our fight to protect home rule. Since 1999, John Wayne has served as Assistant Director of Legislative & Public Affairs for the Florida League of Cities and prior to joining the league Smith worked with FAC. He is a tax expert and welcome addition to the FAC team. FAC welcomes Latoya Washington as Coordinator for Membership and Marketing. Washington brings a variety of skills to FAC that will aid in enhancing our membership relations and the marketing of FAC’s Enterprise Programs. She joins us from the Florida Society of Association Executives. Last but not lease, Valerie Miskelley has joined the FAC legislative division as a new administrative assistant and joins us from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. We are glad to have her!

MIAMI HERALD: Bush economist issues property tax warning

Tony Villamil, the economic advisor to former President George H.W. Bush and his son, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, takes a fascinating jab at the legislature's proposed property tax reform plan in an opinion piece written for Florida TaxWatch in which he warns of serious unintended consequences.

REMINDER:

Taxation & Budget Reform Commission is meeting through out the state. Please make you plans to attend today! Click here for a complete list of dates and locations.

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Florida Forum for County Leaders (ACC) Applications

Limited space is still available in the 2007 – 2008 Florida Forum for County Leaders’ Advanced County Commissioner program; so apply now to be included. This program is open to all graduates of the CCC program. The total registration fee for all three seminars is $450, which includes a total of 27 hours of first class training, all materials, and meals.

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Florida Commissioners appointed to NACo

Commissioners Welton Cadwell (Lake), Bob Janes (Lee), Illene Lieberman (Broward), Bob Rackleff (Leon) and Seminole County Tax Collector Ray Valdes have been appointed to leadership committees with NACo. Congratulations from the FAC team!

EPA Funding Available

EPA Region 4 is currently soliciting proposals for innovative projects that are pilots, demonstrations, investigations, or studies (not routine implementation) of issues related to one of the following priorities: 1) sustainable agricultural practices, 2) children’s health protection.

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Save Our Homes litigation dismissed

This past spring, a proposed class of plaintiffs filed suit in the Lanning v. Pilcher case, against Okaloosa and Walton Counties, among others. The plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the Save Our Homes assessment cap on homestead properties under the Commerce, Equal Protection and the Privileges & Immunities Clauses of the U.S. Constitution.The complaint sought to certify a class of plaintiffs of out-of-state residential property owners and sought to certify a class of defendants to include ALL property taxing entities in the state

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Fertilizer task force to meet

The Consumer Fertilizer Task Force will have its first meeting on September 6 in Sarasota County. FAC has appointed Commissioner Jon Thaxton from Sarasota to represent counties on the task force. The first meeting will be held from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm in the Sarasota County Commission Chamber. For additional information, please contact Diana Ferguson.

SCTAS Applications Now Available

Applications for small county project assistance are now available. Email versions of the application have been sent along with a hard copy to each small county Administrator/ Coordinator and Chair. If you have not received a copy, please click here to download the application. Deadline to submit your application is Friday, September 14, 2007. For questions, please contact Jim Parrish, or Nichole Pepper.

ALERT: State cuts are proposed that would eliminate SCTAS Funding!

District Court closes Lake Belt mines

The District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently shut down certain mines in the Miami-Dade Lake Belt area. Because these mines are a significant source of construction aggregate materials for building roads, the Department of Transportation has expressed concerns regarding the increasing cost of construction materials. Environmentalists have expressed concerns regarding increased pressure to expand mining in other areas of the state, particularly in Southwest Florida.

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Track climate change initiatives

EPA has developed an online matrix to track the ways states are addressing climate change, since many states are in the measurement and planning stages, but some are beginning to move into policy implementation. The matrix provides an overview of these efforts and links to more detailed information from the respective state processes for planning and measurement, targets and caps, reporting, the power sector, and transportation. The website also provides information regarding regional initiatives to address climate change. EPA plans to update the matrix regularly throughout the year and will be developing accompanying maps. Click here to view the matrix.

Commissioner News:

Speaker Rubio appoints Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch to fireworks task force. Congratulations