Taxpayer Independence Day 2025

/ Categories: Research, Local Government

Florida TaxWatch’s Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2025 report commemorates the symbolic April 21 date when the average Floridian has earned enough to satisfy all federal, state, and local tax obligations. In 2025, Floridians spend 110 days—until 11:24 a.m.—paying taxes each year before they begin earning for themselves.

Extending the Local Communication Services Tax Increase Moratorium and a Sales Tax Exemption for Broadband Equipment Should be Part of Any Tax Relief Package this Session

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps

Florida TaxWatch's CST and Broadband Equipment report examines the impact of the high Communications Services Tax (CST) on broadband infrastructure investment and consumer expenses. The report details how Florida’s current CST ranks among the highest in the nation and explores its effects on both businesses and low-income households, who are particularly vulnerable to the disproportionate burden of such taxes on essential wireless services.

Fair Share Taxes Driven Away by Electric Vehicles

/ Categories: Research, Transportation

Proposed solutions include redistributing a portion of the sales tax collected at EV charging stations to the STTF and adopting a hybrid approach that combines higher registration fees with targeted EV taxes. These proposals aim to ensure that all drivers contribute their “fair share” toward maintaining Florida’s transportation infrastructure in the face of rapid technological change.

The Voter Guide for the City of North Port’s May 13, 2025 Referendum

/ Categories: Research, Local Government, Voter Guides

The City of North Port, Florida's second fastest growing city in the United States, faces significant challenges from rapid urbanization, population growth, and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ian's devastating impact in 2022. This Florida TaxWatch report examines the implications of the May 13, 2025 special election referendum, which asks voters to decide on several critical municipal issues.

Using Microelectronic Sensors to Continuously Monitor Vertical Infrastructure

/ Categories: Research

This Florida TaxWatch report explores how microelectronic smart sensor networks can proactively monitor vertical infrastructure to detect issues such as structural fatigue, corrosion, or damage before they lead to catastrophic failures, as seen in the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse (98 deaths) and the 2018 Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse (6 deaths).

The What, Why, and How of the Florida TaxWatch Budget Turkey Watch Report

Legislator Resource

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps, Budget Turkeys

Florida TaxWatch’s annual Budget Turkey Watch Report for 2025 meticulously examines the state budget to identify appropriations that deviate from sound fiscal management principles. Below is an expanded overview of what Budget Turkeys are, why they are identified, and how they are determined.

Despite Uncertainty and Significant Downside Risk, Florida’s New General Revenue Forecast Adds $1.3 Billion to the Money Available for the New Budget

Budget Watch | March 2025

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps

Florida TaxWatch’s Budget Watch report for March 2025 examines the state’s updated General Revenue forecast, which adds approximately $1.3 billion to the money available for the new state budget. After a long streak of collections exceeding estimates, January’s shortfall signals a shift amid mounting economic uncertainty.

More States Are Using State-Level Tax Credits to Address Workforce and Affordable Housing Deficits

Florida Should Consider These Incentives

/ Categories: Research, Housing Affordability

This Florida TaxWatch report highlights a severe affordable housing crisis in Florida, where rising housing costs and a limited supply of affordable units place significant financial and social burdens on low-income families and essential workers. It advocates for the adoption of state-level tax credits to supplement federal programs, thereby incentivizing the construction of affordable housing, stimulating local economies, and reducing public costs.

An Independent Assessment of the Economic Impacts of South Florida’s St. Thomas University on Florida’s Economy

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development, Education, ROI Study

St. Thomas University (STU) plays a large role in Florida’s economy, fostering workforce development and economic mobility, particularly for underrepresented communities. This Florida TaxWatch ROI report evaluates STU’s impact, highlighting its contributions to job creation, income growth, and return on investment. With record-breaking enrollment, a diverse student body, and strong financial stability, STU generates over $1.5 billion in economic output and supports more than 8,500 jobs. Every $1 spent on STU results in $21.50 of economic output.

Enhancing Lives, Ensuring Accountability: The Value of Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities

Tenth Year Review

/ Categories: Research, Cost Savings, Health Care

Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities (BHMEs) are at the heart of an innovative, community-based network delivering critical mental health and substance use services across the state. This report’s summary reveals how BHMEs efficiently coordinate a vast network of providers with minimal overhead—ensuring accessible, continuous care for vulnerable populations—while highlighting the risk that stagnant operational funding poses to their long-term sustainability. It ultimately recommends boosting operational funding from 3% to 5% to maintain the system’s effectiveness and guide future policy decisions.

Florida Economic Forecast: Q3 2024

A Florida TaxWatch Economic Commentary

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development, Economic Forecast

Florida's Economic Forecast 2024–2030 offers a concise look at Florida's future economic landscape. The report, built on REC Group data, outlines how the state is expected to continue growing—approaching a nearly $1.5 trillion economy—while highlighting shifts in population, net migration, and employment. It also examines changes in GDP, personal income, and the influence of tourism, comparing these trends to broader national economic indicators. Overall, the forecast serves as a valuable guide for understanding the opportunities and challenges Florida may face as it transitions into a more normalized, post-pandemic economic environment.

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Budget Watch - Projected Shortfall Requires Action

The 2017 Legislature will be facing a very tight budget year. After a string of three straight years with projected budget surpluses ranging from $336 million to $846 million, it is now estimated that during the next legislative session there will be just enough money to fund a continuation budget for FY2017-18. What’s more, significant budget shortfalls loom in subsequent years.
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2016 Voter Guide - November Edition

This edition of the 2016 Voter Guide details the four amendments on the November 8 ballot. We have provided a notes sheet on page 30 of this Guide, where you can jot down anything you want to remember about the amendments, and take it with you to the polls.

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Ideas in Action - Strategic Planning for State Agencies

Every year, Florida public agencies are required to develop so-called strategic plans. But instead of being strategic and linking to adding measurable value to Floridians, these efforts shift to the planning of tactics and assume that existing agency goals are useful or even correct. And each year we are often disappointed with what our agencies deliver to our citizens. This disappointment comes from agencies not asking and answering the right questions.
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No Chance to Make a First Impression

When considering an applicant for a job, one of the first things employers do is run a background check.  These can be as informal as a Google search or as formal as hiring a private screening company, but the goal is the same—to figure out whether or not an applicant could be a risk to the employer.  The typical results of these investigations are arrest records, but they usually don’t tell the full story.

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International Trade a Boon for Florida's Economy

Since the early days of humanity, people have traded for goods or services that they needed. In today’s world, the power of trade has been magnified and, with the rise of technology, has made many around the world better off. With the global economy expected to double in the next 20 years, it is crucial that Florida continues to take advantage of the opportunities presented by international trade.
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Finally! A Tipping Point for Telehealth

In March, Governor Scott signed HB7087 (Ch. 2016-240) creating the Florida Telehealth Advisory Council. Florida TaxWatch, which has been promoting the advancement of telehealth for years, attended the Council’s inaugural meeting on Tuesday, October 18.
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Halloween Not So Spooky for the Economy

Halloween conjures images of witches, ghouls and goblins and can be a scary sight for little ones. But the holiday isn’t so spooky for the economy as consumers purchase billions of dollars of costumes, decorations and candy. In 2015, more than 157 million Americans celebrated the holiday, spending nearly $7 billion.
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Bees, Please Don't Buzz Off

Honey bees enable the production of more than 90 commercially grown crops here in the United States. Around the world, more than one-third of food production relies on pollination, which is important to understand because, over the past 60 years, the number of honey bee colonies in the United States has decreased steadily.
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Broward Bond Oversight Committee Settles In

If the August 29, 2016 meeting is any indication, the Broward Bond Oversight Committee is getting more and more comfortable in its role of overseeing the implementation of the $800 million general obligation bond program approved by Broward voters to renovate and improve Broward’s public schools. The issues raised and questions asked by Committee members reflected a thorough and careful review of reports provided by District staff and by Florida TaxWatch.
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Flu IQ - Go ahead and take a shot

Across the nation, influenza infections result in tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths annually.  It is estimated that over 1.3 million Floridians will catch the flu this year, resulting in 2.3 million lost days of work and $307 million in lost productivity.
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