The TaxWatch Research Blog

This report highlights the chronic issues plaguing Florida's large-scale IT projects, such as inadequate planning, contracting, and management. These issues have led to the repeated formation and dissolution of a state agency overseeing these projects, with the most recent being the Florida Digital Service (FL[DS]) established in 2020. The paper provides a series of recommendations to prevent the failure of FL[DS]. These include forming a joint House and Senate IT committee for oversight, adopting a new governance model, standardizing statewide agency business processes, and revising Florida Statutes for better IT project procurement and vendor evaluation. Furthermore, the paper suggests methods to attract and retain IT talent, like offering signing bonuses, revising job descriptions to focus on skills, and creating a talent pipeline from the State University System. The report emphasizes the necessity for effective project management and strategic decisions to ensure the success of Florida's IT projects and to safeguard taxpayer investments​​.

This paper addresses the growing issue of physician shortages in Florida. This shortage is primarily driven by an increasing and aging population, coupled with a high rate of physician retirements. The report evaluates the gap between healthcare demand and the supply of physicians, emphasizing the need for more medical students and improved healthcare policies. It discusses strategies like expanding Graduate Medical Education, utilizing telehealth, and leveraging Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to mitigate this shortage. The paper also considers legal and business aspects of practicing medicine in Florida, suggesting improvements to attract and retain healthcare professionals.

The Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Quarterly Report for Q1 2023-24, presented to the Bond Oversight Committee, marks the midpoint of the school year and Year 10 of the SMART Program. The report acknowledges Resolution 23-109 from May 9, 2023, which recognizes the efforts of the Bond Oversight Committee and Florida TaxWatch in overseeing the SMART Program and notes the Twentieth Statewide Grand Jury's identification of program deficiencies. The resolution sets an expectation for the SMART Program's completion by October 31, 2025, including financial close-out and full expenditure of General Obligation Bond funds. The report details various program aspects like safety improvements, technology upgrades, and budget activities, while addressing financial risks and the critical role of oversight committees.

As the 2023-24 school year begins and students return to class, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) begins Year 10 of the SMART Program. This is significant in that former Superintendent Runcie promised the taxpayers that all SMART projects would start within five years and be completed by year seven.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released Fostering School Success: Unveiling the Effective Strategies of Florida’s Top Principals. This report provides a summary of a May 2023 roundtable discussion with five distinguished principals who were recognized through the government watchdog’s 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards, which is an annual program – established in 2013 and still unlike any other program in the country – that identifies and rewards principals who are creating meaningful change in their at-risk K-12 schools across the state.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released The Taxpayers’ Guide to Florida’s FY2023-24 State Budget, providing an overview of Florida’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 state budget, which was passed by the Florida Legislature during the 2023 Legislative Session and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 15, 2023. The guide analyzes all appropriations for the new fiscal year that began on July 1, 2023, net of the governor’s vetoes, including the $117 billion General Appropriations Act (GAA), “back-of-the-bill” spending, and appropriations made in general bills. After the governor’s vetoes, these items total $118.7 billion in spending, which means Florida’s state budget has grown by 28.6 percent in the last three years, the largest three-year growth since the housing bubble and economic boom of Fiscal Year 2004-05 through Fiscal Year 2006-07.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Florida Medicaid Redetermination, which examines Florida’s Medicaid Redetermination Plan and options for Floridians who will no longer be covered through Medicaid, but are still below the poverty threshold. The briefing also touches on the responsibility of the state legislature to address this “coverage gap” on behalf of the 388,000 individuals who may not have access to affordable health care. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday beginning Mon., July 24.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch – the renowned taxpayer research institute and trusted government watchdog for more than 40 years – announced a roster of new hires and staff promotions. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the two sales tax holidays beginning Sat., July 1, 2023 – the ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday (an extension of the existing sales tax holiday) and the new Gas Ranges and Cooktops Sales Tax Holiday. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro released the following statement in response to Governor Ron DeSantis announcing $510.9 million in vetoes for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 state budget. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released its review of the Broward County School District's Safety, Music & Art, Athletics, Renovations and Technology (SMART) program in its report Monitoring and Oversight of General Obligation Bonds to Improve Broward County Schools: SMART Program Quarterly Report Review for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2023.   

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. 

We cannot forget that the money appropriated by the Legislature belongs to the taxpayers of Florida. But what happens when appropriations circumvent the budget process or competitive project selection? Or when they bypass the opportunity for public scrutiny or competitive bidding?

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Physician Shortages: Better Utilization of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Palliative Medicine Could Provide Relief, a briefing explaining how fully utilizing the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) workforce has the potential to significantly mitigate the existing physician shortage and similar issues that may arise in the future, particularly in palliative care and hospice facilities.

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signage of HB 7063: Taxation, the state’s tax relief package, and the two upcoming sales tax holidays that will now be implemented on Sat., May 27 (Disaster Preparedness) and Mon., May 29 (Freedom Summer). To learn more and/or schedule an interview with President and CEO Calabro, please contact Aly Coleman Raschid at aly@on3pr.com or 850.391.5040.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Labor Market Data Indicates a Cool-Down: Could Florida’s Workforce Experience a Cold Summer?, an economic commentary explaining how the dynamics of the labor market, which have given job seekers the upper hand since 2021, may begin to shift in favor of employers and ultimately neutralize. The commentary also explores how this change might impact Florida’s highly reactive economy.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the 2023 How Florida Counties Compare report, which examines Florida’s 67 counties and the myriad of local governments within the state, comparing the revenue and expenditure profiles of counties to give taxpayers an overview of how their local government stacks up against the other counties. 

Orlando, Fla. – Tomorrow, Thurs., May 18, from 12 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will host its 2023 Spring Meeting in Orlando. After the 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards Luncheon – which will honor two winners from Orange and Brevard Counties – FTW board members and guests will engage in issue-specific panel discussions and hear from several high-profile speakers, including keynote remarks from the Department of Education’s Senior Chancellor Henry Mack and the Executive Office of the Governor’s Director of Policy and Budget Chris Spencer. A prominent leader of the Central Florida business community will also be surprised with the prestigious FTW Chairman’s Award.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Florida’s Certificate of Need Program Delivers High Quality Hospice Care, a report emphasizing the value and recommending the continuation of Florida’s hospice Certificate of Need (CON) program. The program, which is intended to increase statewide access to hospice care, allows for the addition of providers only if an area’s growth rate suggests there will be an unmet need – as determined by a population-based formula – for those services.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released $670 Million Added to the New State Budget Through the Sprinkle Lists Deserves Close Scrutiny During the Governor’s Veto Deliberations, an initial review of Florida’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, focusing on the $670 million that was added through supplemental appropriations, or “sprinkle lists,” developed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Tallahassee, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the final passage of HB 7063: Taxation during today’s House session. To learn more and/or schedule an interview with President and CEO Calabro, please contact Aly Coleman Raschid at aly@on3pr.com or 850.391.5040.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released The Impacts of Impact Fees on the Cost of Housing. Impact fees are (typically) one-time payments imposed by local governments on property developers to generate funds necessary to accommodate the impacts of new development on existing public facilities and services. FTW undertakes this independent research to better understand the effect of these fees on housing costs in Florida.

Chiefland, Fla. – Today, Fri., March 31, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Chiefland Middle High School Principal Matthew McLelland is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principal McLelland has also identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship.

Lake City, Fla. – Today, Thurs., March 30, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Richardson Sixth Grade Academy Principal Lisa Lee is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principal Lee has also identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship.