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​​.

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. 

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.