A Closer Look At The Deferred Retirement Option Program
Research, RetirementDear Fellow Taxpayer Many of Florida’s longest-serving public employees take part in a program that lets them formally retire “on paper” while continuing to work […]
Florida Manufacturing: A Highly Productive and Integral Economic Driver
Economic Development, Manufacturing, Research, Workforce DevelopmentIntroduction According to Newton’s first law of motion, an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Florida’s manufacturing sector
Florida TaxWatch Releases Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In, Cites Housing, Health Care, Property Insurance Concerns in Keeping Florida Affordable
Press ReleasesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 2, 2026 CONTACT: Christina Johnson Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released its report, Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In. These metrics clearly
Florida TaxWatch Announces Additional Hires to its Team of Research and Executive Professionals in the New Year
Press ReleasesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 16, 2026 CONTACT: Christina Johnson Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today announced several new hires to complement its existing team of seasoned
Florida Voters Approve $1.9 Billion in Local Tax Increases and Almost $1 Billion in Local Bond Issues, According to Florida TaxWatch Report
Press ReleasesTALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2024 Florida Tax & Bond Referenda: Florida Voters Continue Their Generosity, Approving $1.9B in Local Tax Increases
Florida TaxWatch Analyzes the Trends of Supply and Demand in Florida’s Housing Market
Press ReleasesTallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Florida’s Housing Market: Trends of Supply and Demand. This commentary analyzes the increasing cost of buying a house due to supply and demand issues in Florida, building upon FTW’s January 2023 report, Economic Commentary: An Update on Florida’s Housing Rental Market, which evaluated Florida’s challenges with the ever-rising cost of rent. In this report, the taxpayer research institute examines the slowly developing supply of housing units, the growing and evolving demand for housing stock, and the consequences of the high housing and rental prices.
Florida’s Housing Market: Trends of Supply and Demand
Housing Affordability, ResearchAs Florida continues to grow, the development of infrastructure (e.g., roads, water and wastewater systems, parks, etc.) must keep pace. In January 2023, Florida TaxWatch released “Economic Commentary: An Update on Florida’s Housing Rental Market,” which evaluated the troubles Florida has experienced with the ever-rising cost of rent. In Florida, the cost of rent has jumped by 36 percent since 2020, with much of the increase occurring in 2021 alone.
Florida TaxWatch Examines Trend of Florida Voters Continuing to Approve Proposed Tax Increases
Press ReleasesTALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Florida Voters Continue to Say Yes to Proposed Tax Increases, a briefing examining the trend of Florida voters approving tax increases at the local level. This report builds on FTW’s February 2021 analysis, A Decade of Self-Taxing, which found that Floridians increased their own taxes 142 times since 2010. The new report focuses on voting patterns in the 2021 and 2022 elections, including voters’ propensity for authorizing county-wide sales and property tax increases, and more.
Florida Voters Continue to Say Yes to Proposed Tax Increases
Research, TaxesAt the state level, taxpayers in Florida have enjoyed tax cuts passed by the Legislature every year since 2009. However, at the local level, Florida voters continue to vote to significantly increase the taxes they pay. A 2021 Florida TaxWatch report discovered that since 2010, Floridians voted to increase their own taxes 142 times. This includes voting to extend existing expiring tax levies.
IDEAS IN ACTION—It is Well Past Time to Modernize Florida’s Baker & Marchman Acts
Blog, ResearchPatt Maney is a retired brigadier general and former county court judge who has represented District 4 (Part of Okaloosa) in the Florida House of Representatives since 2020. Reforming Florida’s civil commitment laws was one of his primary motivators for seeking legislative office because as a judge, he presided over Baker Act hearings and witnessed the law’s various shortcomings.
