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 TaxWatch Looks At The Broward Countywide Resilience Plan 2025
Energy & Environment, Insurance, Local Government, Public Infrastructure & Utilities, ResearchDear Fellow Taxpayer, With more than 8,400 miles of coastline and a flat, low-lying coastal topography, Florida is especially vulnerable to the effects of sea
2026 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up – Special Session Edition
Budget & Appropriations, Research, TaxesIntroduction The 2026 Legislative Session, and its attendant special sessions, are finally over. For the second year in row, the Legislature could not complete its
Florida Economic Forecast 2026 – 2035: Q1 2026
Economic Development, Economic Forecast, ResearchIntroduction Fueled by a strong global presence in tourism, trade, and real estate development, Florida’s economy has grown to $1.87 trillion in 2025. If Florida
2026 Budget Turkey Watch Report: FY2026-27
Budget & Appropriations, Budget Turkeys, Local Government, ResearchIntroduction Many in the Florida Legislature have been rightly criticizing local governments for rapidly increasing property taxes and budgets. The property tax debate and the
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
Taxpayer Independence Day 2026
Federal Government, Local Government, Research, TaxesFriday, April 17 is Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2026 — the symbolic date when the average Florida household has earned enough to satisfy all federal, state, and local tax obligations for the year.
Tourism in Central Florida: Why Tourist Development Tax Revenue Should Not Be Diverted
Energy & Environment, Research, Taxes, TourismEach year, more than one hundred million visitors come to Florida to enjoy its beaches, warm temperatures, and its numerous parks, thrills, and attractions. Latest FloridaCommerce data confirm that Florida set a new all-time annual record in calendar year 2024 with 143 million visitors an increase of 1.7 percent over the previous record set in 2023. Out-of-state visitors to Florida spent $134.9 billion in calendar year 2024. For every $1 spent by a visitor, 99 cents stayed in Florida’s economy, with 59 cents supporting worker salaries. Tourism supported 1.8 million jobs in 2024 and generated $79.9 billion in wages, including $44 billion in direct wages. Tourism-related activity produced $33.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. Tourism accounted for 7.8 percent of Florida’s Nominal Gross State Product (GSP), contributing $133.6 billion to the state’s economy in 2024. Without tourism, Florida households would pay $1,730 more annually in state and local taxes alone to sustain current levels of revenue.
Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In
Housing Affordability, Insurance, ResearchFor millions of Floridians, the defining economic question of the mid-2020s isn’t about growth or GDP — it’s about whether they can still afford to stay.
2026 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up
Budget & Appropriations, Research, TaxesFor the second year in a row, the Florida Legislature ended its 60-day session without completing its only constitutionally required task — passing a state budget.
Florida Economic Forecast 2025 – 2035
Economic Forecast, ResearchFlorida’s economy reached $1.85 trillion in Q3 2025, ranking first among all 50 states and the District of Columbia in economic growth. This fourth installment of Florida TaxWatch’s quarterly economic forecast series — produced in partnership with the Regional Economic Consulting Group — examines whether that momentum is sustainable through 2035.
Building The Force: An Analysis of Florida’s Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program (LEAP)
Cost Savings, Public Safety, Research, Workforce DevelopmentFlorida’s Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program (LEAP) is helping address persistent officer shortages, particularly in rural and fiscally constrained communities where recruiting and retaining qualified personnel remains a challenge. Traditional pathways into law enforcement often require candidates to pay for training upfront while forgoing income, creating barriers that limit access to the profession.
2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit: Summary Report
Economic Development, Manufacturing, Research, Technology, Workforce DevelopmentManufacturing is one of Florida’s leading industries and a key driver of job growth and economic strength, contributing more than $80 billion to Florida’s annual GDP.
Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk
Energy & Environment, Local Government, Public Infrastructure & Utilities, ResearchThe 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.
New General Revenue Forecast Adds $572.5 Million for the Next Budget
Budget & Appropriations, Local Government, ResearchThe General Revenue (GR) Estimating Conference met on January 23 to adopt Florida’s latest GR forecast—the estimate that tells lawmakers how much is available for the next state budget.
Florida’s Space Coast is Well-Positioned to Dominate the Future of the Aerospace Industry
Economic Development, Manufacturing, Research, Technology, Workforce DevelopmentFor more than 60 years, Florida’s Space Coast—anchored by Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS)—has served as a premier gateway to space, driving tourism, high-tech jobs, and statewide economic output. After major federal program shifts in the 2010s led to significant regional job losses, Florida’s modern commercial-space resurgence—supported by Space Florida’s strategy to diversify the supply chain, modernize infrastructure, and attract private capital—has positioned the Space Coast to lead the next era of aerospace growth.
Save Our Taxpayers – Property Tax Relief Must be Accomplished Equitably
Housing Affordability, Insurance, Local Government, Research, TaxesFlorida property tax levies have been rising rapidly—increasing by nearly 40 percent in just the last three years and more than doubling in the last ten years—with property taxes now totaling $59.2 billion (FY2025–26). With the Legislature’s increased focus on affordability, especially housing affordability, property taxes are expected to be a top issue during the 2026 legislative session.
Florida Economic Forecast: 2025-2034
Economic Forecast, ResearchExecutive Summary Florida’s economy—valued at $1.76 trillion in Q1 2025—entered the year with strong momentum, but this Q3 2025 Florida TaxWatch forecast projects a return
Florida Sheriffs’ Offices Staffing Analysis
Local Government, Public Safety, Research, Workforce DevelopmentIn May 2025, Florida TaxWatch and the Florida Sheriff Association conducted a joint survey to local sheriff offices to learn more about law enforcement’s workforce challenges.
Transferring Utility Profits to a Municipality’s General Fund Increases the Risk of Undercapitalization of Water Assets and Violate Taxpayer Accountability
Local Government, Research, TaxesSetting 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.
