COUNTY  

WCJB 

Dixie County Commission will meet and have a workshop to interview potential new county attorneys  

CROSS CITY, Fla. (WCJB) – Dixie County commissioners will hold a workshop to interview potential new county attorneys on Thursday. The workshop will start at 1 p.m. 

 

FOX 13 News 

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office launches new 911 system to enhance response  

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office launched a new system that enhances the way deputies respond to 911 calls. 

 

WUFT News 

Alachua County is battling overcrowding at its animal shelter, so adoptions are free for now  

A three-month-old gray tabby cat named Dos sits in her kennel, waiting for someone to take her home. She hopes someone will foster her while she waits to undergo enucleation surgery to remove her eye. Dos is one of over 100 animals living at the overcrowded and understaffed Alachua County shelter. 

 

News 4 JAX 

Clay County residents could be waiting more than year for curbside recycling to return  

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – In a worst-case scenario estimate from the county, Clay County residents could be waiting until 2024 to get their curbside recycling back. 

 

Tampa Bay Times  

Pinellas County budget focuses investing in roads, bridges and infrastructure  

Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton describes a twofold effort for the 2023 budget: address pressing needs on everything from infrastructure to personnel while keeping property taxes low. 

 

Tampa Bay Times  

Hillsborough budget plan tops $8.5 billion  

TAMPA — Hillsborough County commissioners will consider a nearly $8.56 billion budget for the coming fiscal year, a 14.4 percent spending increase financed by rising property values, new construction joining the tax rolls and proceeds from the community investment sales tax. 

 

Florida Politics 

Miami-Dade Commission approves $8.8M partnership to curb gun violence, boost opportunity  

The partnership with the nonprofit Carrie Meek Foundation earned sweeping support from Commissioners and residents who traveled to County Hall. 

 

PROPERTY TAXES 

Suncoast News 

Hernando commission seeks slight millage reduction in $647.4 million budget  

BROOKSVILLE — The county still is growing despite the endless warnings of a coming recession, and the county’s government is going to grow with it. 

 

First Coast News 

Jacksonville mayor to present budget proposal Thursday  

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry presents his budget proposal to the city council Thursday morning. He plans to propose a reduction in the property tax rate and is expected to propose a budget increase for Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. His capital improvement plan highlights public safety and city parks. 

 

Local 10  

Miami-Dade commissioners approve mayor’s proposed 1% property tax cut  

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County commissioners have approved Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s proposal to cut the countywide UMSA, library and fire millage rates by 1%. 

 

ENVIRONMENT  

Bradenton Harold  

Are fertilizer laws tough enough to protect Florida’s waters? 

Fertilizer bans during rainy season are one tool governments have rolled out in an effort to protect Florida’s water quality, which is increasingly under threat from manmade pollution. 

  

Bradenton Harold 

How to help keep Florida waters clean with a natural yard  

A lawn full of crisp, green turf may be the traditional beauty standard for many Florida homeowners, but over-fertilized lawns could be coming at a big cost to the environment. 

 

Keys News 

County takes on Environmental Issues and Smoking Ban 

The Monroe County Commission took on several environmental issues, including sea-level rise and flooding, and agreed to move forward on a smoking ban at county beaches at it meeting Wednesday, July 20 in Marathon.   

 

Ocala Star-Banner 

Marion County, Florida makes littering cost more in fines, jail time  

After nearly 10 months of work from the Litter Task Force, Marion County commissioners have adopted a final report and ordinance that change how the county will handle littering going forward.  

 

The Gainesville Sun

Scott Angle: UF/IFAS employs high-tech methods to protect springs

We can have it both ways. We can protect our springs and have viable agriculture in Florida. It will take a lot of science and behavior change to do it.   

 

BROADBAND 

Route Fifty  

FCC Chair Pushes for Gigabit Speed Broadband  

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants to increase the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads and proposed setting a separate national goal of 1 Gbps/500 Mbps. 

 

AROUND THE COUNT(R)Y 

Route Fifty 

Localities Are Finding Creative Affordable Housing Solutions  

There’s an estimated shortage of 3.8 million housing units nationwide. Cities and towns are stepping up to help residents.