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Clearwater Plan to enter its own municipal

Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk

Energy & Environment, Local Government, Public Infrastructure & Utilities, Research

The City of Clearwater is considering acquiring Duke Energy Florida’s electric distribution assets to establish a municipal electric utility (MEU), citing potential rate reductions and increased local control. Florida TaxWatch’s independent analysis finds that the feasibility study supporting this proposal relies on optimistic assumptions that significantly understate legal, financial, and operational risks.

Transferring Utility Profits to a Municipality’s General Fund Increases the Risk of Undercapitalization of Water Assets and Violate Taxpayer Accountability

Local Government, Research, Taxes

Setting water utility rates that incorporate the recovery of the costs associated with standard operating expenses and debt obligations is essential to ensuring the short-term and longer-term financial stability of the utility. Once these costs are covered, many publicly owned utilities make transfers to the General Fund (a practice known as “sweeping”) ostensibly to help pay for governmental services that do not generate revenue (e.g., roadway maintenance, public safety, etc.) and to help keep property taxes lower. Keeping property taxes low often means higher municipal utility rates to balance the general budget, a habitual practice that burdens utility customers with cross-subsidies and normalizes underinvestment in infrastructure.

2023 How Florida Counties Compare

Research

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. 

Statement by Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro on Four Sales Tax Holidays Beginning Friday, July 1, 2022

Releases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the four sales tax holidays beginning Friday, July 1, 2022 – Freedom Week, Energy Star Appliances, Diapers and Baby Clothes, and Home Hardening. To learn more and/or schedule an interview with President and CEO Calabro, please contact Aly Coleman at aly@on3pr.com or 850.391.5040.

What is Inflation and How Does it Affect Taxpayers?

Blog

To many people, the word “inflation” conjures up distant memories to some obscure high school economics class rather than offer some deep insight into the inter-workings of the economy. The topic appears mysterious in nature (understandably so), known by few outside of economics circles. Read more.

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