COUNTY  

Suncoast News 

Pasco residents will wait a little longer to pay the bill to protect Oaks Park 

NEW PORT RICHEY — Since 2014, residents around a 41-acre undeveloped swath of land known as Oaks Park have been anticipating the arrival of their first bill to protect the site from development. 

 

The Highlands News-Sun 

County accepts HCSO pay, revenue  

SEBRING — On Tuesday, county commissioners voted unanimously to accept $945,000 into their budget to improve starting pay for deputies. 

 

Charlotte Florida Weekly 

County’s new simulator to train area firefighters to battle airport fires  

Towering orange flames 100 feet tall. A billowing plume of thick black smoke. An aircraft engulfed in a blaze. And it’s happening along Interstate 75 toward southern Punta Gorda, not far from the highway. 

 

WJHG 

St. Andrews State Park receives large investment  

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Local officials say a new project will keep our beaches beautiful. 

 

ABC 7 

Collier County Commission to vote on medical marijuana dispensaries 

UPDATE: Collier County Planning Commission has voted unanimously to not move forward with allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Collier County. The Commission voted 6-0 Thursday, citing a lack of information. 

 

Pensacola News Journal  

Santa Rosa 2023 budget: $250 million to fund infrastructure projects  

Santa Rosa County’s budget is set to increase by almost $57 million next year and include a significant investment in infrastructure projects. 

 

WGCU 

Lee County approves purchase of new back-up emergency call system  

Lee County will spend just over $273,000 to purchase an emergency call system that could be quickly set up and operational if regular 911 call centers are taken out of commission by a natural or man-made disaster. 

 

WUFT 

Florida is planning to make naloxone kits available through county health departments  

To address the ongoing opioid crisis, the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday announced a plan to increase access to naloxone throughout the state. 

 

PROPERTY TAXES 

The St. Augustine Record 

St. Johns County property tax rates, $1.55 billion budget advance  

St. Johns County commissioners advanced new property tax rates and the county’s tentative budget of over $1.55 billion this week, and a final hearing is ahead later this month.   

 

AROUND THE COUNT(R)Y 

Tampa Bay Times 

What the federal infrastructure bill means for water systems nationwide 

The ongoing crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, is a dramatic reminder of the fragility of Americans’ water supply systems. When recent flooding overloaded the city’s already hobbled water treatment plant, tap water became unsafe to drink for the city’s 180,000 residents, more than 80% of whom are Black. The city no longer had enough water pressure to fight fires. 

 

Route-Fifty 

Cybersecurity Grants Are Coming. Are You Ready? 

COMMENTARY | Federal grants worth $1 billion could position state and local governments to harden their networks and protect themselves from cyber threats. Here’s what to keep in mind.