FAC  

Charlotte Sun  

Truex named president-elect of Florida Association of Counties 

ORLANDO — Charlotte County Commission Chairman Bill Truex was appointed as the Florida Association of Counties president-elect on Friday at the association’s annual business meeting in Orange County, according to a county news release. Truex previously served as the association’s first vice president. 

 

South Santa Rosa News 

Commissioner Parker Earns Advanced County Commissioner Designation 

Santa Rosa County Commissioner Sam Parker, District 1, was presented with the Advanced County Commissioner Level I (ACC I) designation from the Institute for County Government (ICG) at an award ceremony held at the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Annual Conference and Educational Exhibition in Orange County, Florida on June 30. 

 

COUNTY  

Miami Herald 

Miami-Dade mayor proposes cut in 2023 property-tax rates. Critics want more  

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava prepared a 2023 budget with a 1% cut in property-tax rates, which was less than the 3% reduction sought by other elected officials as property values boom and inflation puts pressure on tax bills. “We owe it to residents struggling with the rising costs of living to provide immediate relief,” Levine Cava said in an introductory message for her 2023 budget that’s available on the county’s website.  

 

Miami Herald 

Editorial: County Mayor Levine Cava offers homeowners relief with smart opening tax-cut bid  

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava knows county residents are in a severe financial squeeze as inflation bears down on them — and she’s proposing to ease the pain. Wednesday, the mayor announced the unexpected: a 1% cut in the property-tax rate for homeowners, proposed in the 2023 budget. We commend her for opening the door to this idea.  

 

Englewood Sun  

Millage rate decreases slightly in Sarasota County 

SARASOTA — Without any action by the Sarasota County commissioners, property owners in the county will see a decrease in overall county millage for the 2023 fiscal year. Budget Director Kim Radtke told commissioners Wednesday the proposed millage rate to fund the operations of the county government would drop from 3.4561 mills to 3.4463 mills, a decrease of 0.0098 mills. 

 

Sarasota Observer 

County millage rate dips slightly as commission sets max rate 

With a preliminary fiscal year 2023 budget of $1.45 billion, the Sarasota County Commission on Wednesday set the tentative countywide millage rate at 3.4561, a slight decrease of 0.0098 mills from fiscal 2022 due largely to a decrease in the voter-approved debt service millage to support the Legacy Trail Extension. “Otherwise, the millage rate remained flat,” Kim Radtke, director of the Office of Financial Management told commissioners. 

 

Palm Beach Post  

Your property taxes: Why Palm Beach County decided to drop millage rate for first time in 15 years 

County taxpayers have tentatively been given a millage rate reduction for next year to offset an expected spike in taxes because of dramatic rises in property values. The county commission voted 4 to 2 on Tuesday with Commissioners Melissa McKinlay and Dave Kerner opposed and Commissioner Maria Marino absent to cut the millage rate from the current 4.7815 per $1,000 of taxable value to 4.7150. 

 

106.7 

County Mayor Leans Toward Tax Break For Homeowners 

The Palm Beach County Commission is discussing a potential cut in the millage rate, as taxable property values continue to rise with the soaring home prices. County Mayor Robert Weinroth says the property appraiser’s office is forecasting a hike of 3 to 10 percent in property taxes for local homeowners if things are left as is. 

 

Vero News 

County plans only slight property tax hike 

Taxpayers can expect to pay only slightly more in property taxes next year to fund the $452 million budget County Administrator Jason Brown presented to county commissioners this week. That’s because a 13.5 percent increase in the county’s tax roll – a $9.4 million windfall produced by an influx of new residents, construction of new homes and a surge in real-estate values – allowed officials to maintain the current property-tax rate. 

 

Highlands News Sun 

Looking to cut millage: Property tax could come down 0.25 mils 

SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners stand to oversee a $164.6 million budget this year. They can only directly control $24.4 million of it. That’s because the vast majority of the budget either belongs to constitutional officers or to mandates that the county must pay to maintain the local government and infrastructure. 

 

Sarasota Magazine 

Local Officials Want to Make It Harder for Citizens to Change the County Charter 

Sarasota County Commission candidate Mike Cosentino wore a costume to Tuesday’s meeting to draw attention to a proposal that would make it harder for citizens to change the county charter. So it’s come to this. In order to get the Sarasota County Commission and the media to take the erosion of our rights seriously, you have to dress up in a colorful superhero costume to get some attention.  

 

Route-Fifty.com 

How States and Localities Can Plan for the Growing Economic Uncertainty 

COMMENTARY | Mixed signals are making it difficult for government finance officers to get a clear outlook for the future economy. Here’s what they can do, says one county CFO. It is difficult to avoid the headlines. Inflation is soaring. The Federal Reserve has raised the fed funds rate this year. Supply chains are broken, causing shortages of goods and increased prices. GDP growth has stalled. Gasoline prices are soaring and the list goes on.  

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

SpecturmNews9 

Orange County officials to talk funds for affordable housing 

ORLANDO, Fla. — Between 2010 and 2020, data shows that Orange County has grown by 25%, and by the end of the year, the county’s population is expected to grow to about 1.5 million. 

 

In preparation, county officials say they are budgeting resources to meet the growing housing demands. Orange County is talking about including an additional $46.7 million in the Housing for All Trust Fund.  Orange County officials are planning to discuss what is needed in the budget for the next year to meet the demand of the new population Jason Sween is a Central Florida local who has lived in the Orlando area for more than 10 years. 

 

WFTV  

Orange County weighs additional rental assistance amid surging rental prices 

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Time is running out to apply for rental assistance in Orange County. The county’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program will stop accepting new applications at 11:59 p.m. Friday, but with rental prices surging, the county is working on new ways to help renters in need. Orange County has handed out more than $28 million in emergency rental assistance so far, but tenants said more is needed to help as rent prices continue to skyrocket. 

 

ARPA 

Route-Fifty.com 

States and Localities Plan for Billions in ARPA Workforce Spending 

White House figures suggest over $40 billion from the pandemic relief law could go to workforce development, with a sizable chunk of investment through state and local programs. States, localities, territories and tribes are looking to plow over $13 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act toward workforce investments, the White House said Wednesday. 

 

BROADBAND  

Captiva / Sanibel Island Reporter 

County, FDEO ask for help evaluating broadband capabilities 

In cooperation with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Office of Broadband, Lee County is asking the public to take a survey and an Internet speed test to evaluate current broadband capabilities and determine areas in need of added service. Surveys may be taken online or in person at Lee County libraries and recreation centers during the month of July. The survey and a full list of locations offering it is available at leegov.com/broadband. 

 

Route-Fifty.com  

(VERMONT) State Gathers Data to Map Internet Coverage, Performance 

To improve broadband mapping accuracy, Vermont state workers will be testing the wireless network along state highways. Residents can supplement that data with their own test results. 

Staff at the Vermont Agency of Transportation will be driving more than 6,500 miles of state-maintained highways to measure the availability and performance of mobile wireless coverage.