TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, during a ceremony held in Tallahassee, Florida TaxWatch and the Florida Council of 100 jointly announced the winners of the 2023 […]
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Thurs., March 7, Florida TaxWatch will proudly announce that Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math Principal Rosemarie Maiorini is among
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Wed., March 6, Florida TaxWatch will proudly announce that Somerset Academy Bay Middle School Principal Saili Hernandez is a Florida TaxWatch
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Thurs., Feb. 22, Florida TaxWatch will proudly announce that Charlotte Harbor School Principal Herb Bennett is among the 15 winners of
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Thurs., Feb. 8, Florida TaxWatch will proudly announce that GRASP Academy Principal Annessia Powell and W.E. Cherry Elementary School Principal Angela Whiddon are among the 15 winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2023-24 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principals Powell and Whiddon have also each identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship. The awards and scholarships will be presented during two separate ceremonies today. The first ceremony will be held on the campus of GRASP Academy at 10 a.m. EST, and the second will be held on the campus of W.E. Cherry Elementary School at 1 p.m. EST. Media are invited to attend and asked to RSVP to Aly Coleman Raschid via email at aly@on3pr.com or by phone at 850.391.5040. Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Acting President and CEO, Jeff Kottkamp said, “Principals are the lifeblood of Florida’s schools – as leaders in their schools, they support and motivate hard-working teachers and ensure students of all ages are provided ample opportunities to succeed. That’s why Florida TaxWatch established this one-of-a-kind Principal Leadership Awards program, now in its 11th year, which uses comprehensive data to determine the most effective principals in our state and reward them for the transformational impact they are having both in their schools and in their communities. And this year, we have the privilege of honoring 15 deserving principals, the most in the history of the program, so that is extremely exciting. Congratulations to all the winners!” Florida Prepaid College Foundation Director Cindy O’Connell said, “Every day, the work of these dedicated principals dictates which opportunities for success will be available to our children and how their educational experience will mold them into productive adults for our world. The Florida Prepaid College Foundation is proud to sponsor the Principal Leadership Awards with the Foundation’s Academic A+ Challenge Match Scholarship Program. We look forward to helping these 15 students realize their potential. We are grateful to organizations like Florida TaxWatch for its staunch commitment to highlighting the good works of these public servants and unyielding dedication to education in Florida.” Florida Lottery Secretary John F. Davis said, “The Florida Lottery is proud to partner with Florida TaxWatch in support of the Principal Leadership Awards and commends each of the award recipients for their outstanding dedication and commitment to students and schools; these diligent efforts are making a difference each and every day. At the Florida Lottery, we believe that the path to a
As Florida continues to grow, we must ensure that our state remains affordable for people to live, work, and play. Florida’s current population boom saw the state increase its population by nearly 15 percent between 2010 and 2020. The state added a little less than three million residents in under a decade. Florida is currently the fastest growing state in the nation, and we should increase our housing stock to meet these population pressures.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its 2023 Budget Turkey Watch Report, an independent review of the state’s $117 billion Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget. Since 1983, FTW has provided Floridians with this additional level of oversight by identifying individual appropriations that circumvent a thoughtful and thorough budget process. The annual Budget Turkey Watch Report is based on the principle that, because funds appropriated by the legislature belong to Florida taxpayers, the process must be transparent and accountable, and every appropriation should receive proper deliberation and public debate.
This is the Florida TaxWatch annual independent review of Florida’s FY2023-24 budget process. The report was started in 1983 and promotes oversight and integrity in the state’s budgeting process based on the principle that: because money appropriated by the Legislature belongs to the taxpayers of Florida, the process must be thorough, thoughtful, transparent, and accountable. Every appropriation should receive proper deliberation and public scrutiny. This includes member-requested projects.
Florida relies heavily on local governments to provide services to its residents. The state’s counties, cities, school districts, and special districts raise and spend more money combined than Florida’s state government. The levels of taxing and spending in different jurisdictions across the state vary considerably. This report will help you see how your county stacks up against the other 66 counties. To complement our How Florida Compares series, which compares our state to the rest of the nation, this report looks at the myriad local governments within the state. While property taxes get most of the public attention, they only provide about one-fifth of city and county revenue. The tables, charts, and graphs in this report provide comprehensive information on local tax rates, tax collections, other revenue sources, and government expenditures. Florida TaxWatch provides this report as a reference tool for Florida’s taxpayers, policymakers, and elected officials.
Tuesday, April 18, Florida TaxWatch joins the taxpayers in our state in celebrating Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2023. On that day, Floridians are finally earning money for themselves–not for the tax collector. This symbolic date assumes that every dollar earned since January 1 goes to pay federal, state, and local tax obligations. This measure of tax burden is based on the relative size of all taxes paid in Florida to our state’s total personal income. In 2023, on average, it takes Florida 107 out of 365 days to pay its taxes, or three and a half months. Floridians are experiencing tax collections that are growing faster than the personal income to pay for them, so it will take taxpayers four more days to achieve tax independence than it did last year, when the date was April 10. After Taxpayer Independence Day came earlier in six straight years, this is the second consecutive year the date falls later on the calendar. Independence is coming nine days later this year than in 2020, when the pandemic led to reduced tax collections.
For over 45 years, donor support has made Florida TaxWatch the state’s leading independent voice for taxpayer accountability. There are many ways to support our mission.
