COUNTIES 

Florida Today 

Proposed 2022-23 Brevard County budget totals $1.83 billion  

Brevard County Manager Frank Abbate has released his county budget proposal for 2022-23, with spending totaling a record $1.83 billion. But, under his plan for the budget year that begins Oct. 1, property tax rates would decrease, and the spending would not exceed the provisions of the county’s charter cap. 

 

Orlando Sentinel 

Orlando’s budget includes millions from feds for affordable housing, homelessness  

 

The Gainesville Sun 

Ron Cunningham: Density brings Gainesville diversity, economic benefits 

The outcome of the upcoming city elections will be crucial to determining whether we will continue to mature into the university city Gainesville ought to be, or go on pretending that we can live in the past. The political rhetoric that we can somehow preserve in amber a college town that hasn’t existed for years strikes me as being a developer’s dream.   

 

Tampa Bay Times 

Pasco working on plan to help the homeless with $4.46 million in pandemic relief funding  

DADE CITY — Hardly a meeting goes by without some discussion by Pasco County commissioners about the vexing problem of homelessness, so it was no surprise when the board unanimously embraced seeking up to $4.46 million in federal grant money recently to find solutions. 

 

Florida Today 

Space Coast Office of Tourism plans record spending to market area  

The Space Coast Office of Tourism plans to spend a record $9.78 million for a wide range of tactics to market the area to tourists during its next budget year. 

 

WCJB 

Marion County Commissioners will meet and have a public hearing on tightening litter laws  

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) – Marion County commissioners are holding a public hearing on a plan to tighten litter laws. 

 

Pensacola News Journal  

Milton budget 2023: Council may get rec money for individual requests 

The city of Milton is considering establishing individual recreation funds for council members to fund community projects. 

 

PROPERTY TAXES 

Palm Beach Daily News 

Palm Beach Town Council agrees to lower property tax rate  

The Palm Beach Town Council agreed Thursday to reduce the property tax rate and to use additional revenue created by an increase in property values to pay for public safety improvements within the town. 

 

ARPA 

WMFE 

Orlando to tackle affordable housing, homelessness with ARPA funds 

Orlando is planning to use its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay some salaries for city employees, replacing revenue lost during the pandemic. That will free up $58 million to spend on other priorities. Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the so-called Accelerate Orlando program at a City Council work session Monday. 

 

BROADBAND 

Sumter Sun Times 

County signs on to improve broadband service in unserved and underserved areas  

Sumter County and Charter Communications Inc. signed a public-private partnership agreement at the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners meeting in recent months and work is underway on enhanced broadband for unserved and underserved areas of Sumter County. 

 

STATE 

Tallahassee Democrat 

Jack Campbell says no choice but to enforce abortion restrictions  

Democratic prosecutors and city governments in the South and Midwest are moving to keep open abortion services as their state governments move to ban or severely restrict access.  

However, there does not seem to be any such movement in Florida or its capital city.     

 

HURRICANES 

WUSF 

Hurricane preparedness is expensive. Emergency managers and community leaders seek a solution  

This June, Valencia “Vee” Gunder’s organization, The Smile Trust, organized its first hurricane preparedness event. Gunder and her staff prepared 200 kits full of supplies like water, battery-operated fans and first aid kits. They planned to give these away to neighboring families of its Miami headquarters. 

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

Orlando Sentinel 

Orlando’s budget includes millions from feds for affordable housing, homelessness 

Orlando revealed a proposal to spend much of its $58 million in federal pandemic relief aid on homelessness and affordable housing Monday, outlining a plan that would create the city’s first daytime drop-in center for the unhoused.