Some Florida cities are taking meaningful steps towards reducing their pension liabilities, according to this Report, released by Florida TaxWatch, and the LeRoy Collins Institute, housed at Florida State University.
The economic modeling done in this Report, looking at the impact of investing more in Florida's tourism industry, indicates that the Florida tourism industry reaching the milestone of 100 million annual visitors would create 121,298 jobs, and increase overall personal income for Floridians by $5.3 billion.
Continuing a legacy that has resulted in the savings of at least $3.5 billion in Floridians' hard-earned tax dollars over the last four years alone, Florida TaxWatch added more than $1 billion in cost-saving options for lawmakers this year, with the release of this Report. This year's Report is the fifth in as many years from Florida TaxWatch, the independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute and government watchdog headquartered in Tallahassee.
Consistent with the research and educational mission of Florida TaxWatch, the 2012 Voter Guide is the third consecutive Guide released during a statewide election cycle. TaxWatch released similar Guides in 2010 and 2008, and has written extensively on individual Constitutional Amendments going back nearly 30 years.
A proposed Constitutional Amendment on the November 2012 ballot would create Florida jobs, grow Florida's Gross Domestic Product, and increase the personal income of Floridians, according to this new analysis from the TaxWatch Center for Competitive Florida
The Briefing surveys the significance of public-sector employment in Florida counties by examining the ten largest employers per county, and finds that public employers are the top employer (by number of employees) in 51 of the 67 counties in Florida, and one of the top five employers in every single county in the state.
According to this report, Florida has the potential to collect millions of dollars for energy efficiency enhancement projects already completed, or planned.
Friday, April 20, is Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2012, as estimated by Florida TaxWatch. 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.
The "Download" link below will take you to an interactive page offering a county by county breakdown showing wide range of data relating to population, income, tax revenues and expenditures.
"This report compares the revenue and expenditure profiles of Florida's 67 counties to provide taxpayers an overview of how their local governments compare with the rest of the state's. While the focus is on county and municipal governments, there is information on all types of local jurisdictions, including special districts and school districts. "
"Specific areas of Palm Beach County government and the management of taxpayer dollars are the focus of this report. Also noted, are significant opportunities for improvement in the management and utilization of specific assets. "
This Special Report details how Escambia County is seeking creative solutions to dealing with the recession.