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Florida TaxWatch In The News

People's Budget, Workplace Recovery and More

 

Statewide Coverage. Statewide Impact.

Florida TaxWatch is constantly looking to spread the word about our research, recommendations, and programs, all in pursuit of serving each and every taxpayer in Florida. Below is just a selection of where we've popped up in the last few weeks!

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On Tax Day 2021, ‘People’s Budget’ calls for tax reform to help struggling Floridians (May 17, 2021) Florida Phoenix
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch has not yet graded the overall state budget, which is not finalized by the governor and is subject to his vetoes.
TaxWatch has reported on Senate Bill 50, regarding online sales tax collections, already signed into law, as one of the largest corporate tax breaks in Florida history. SB 50 allows the state to collect for the first time roughly $1 billion from consumers in online sales taxes.

One FL College Strives for Better Workforce Recovery (May 17, 2021)
Public News Service
"Broward UP," which stands for "Unlimited Potential," makes education accessible by "meeting students where they are," by holding free classes and workshops at satellite sites in six local ZIP Codes that have the highest unemployment and lowest educational attainment rates.
ReferencesBroward UP assessment Florida TaxWatch 04/13/2021

According to the nonprofit Florida TaxWatch, "Broward UP" students stand to earn an average of $204,000 more income in their lifetimes.

IHS principal 1 of 9 honored statewide (May 13, 2021)
Palatka Daily News
Florida TaxWatch awarded Bryan Helms the Principal Leadership Award, which is given to principals who have a major impact on student achievement.
Superintendent Rick Surrency said Florida TaxWatch doesn’t accept nominations for the award, which it gives to three elementary, middle and high school principals across the state. However, the group looks at the financial condition of schools and analyzes student performance over several years

Florida's online sales tax compliance law could net $1 billion annually (May 13, 2021)
The Bond Buyer
The law was commended by the non-profit Florida TaxWatch.
"Out-of-state sellers have been flaunting existing law and shifting their responsibility to unsuspecting Floridians, forcing Florida consumers to calculate and remit their own taxes and subjecting them to audits and penalties that could result in penalties as high as 50% of the taxes due," TaxWatch president Dominic Calabro said in a letter sent to the governor.

Immokalee Community School Principal Zulaika Quintero is a Principal Leadership Awards winner (May 10, 2021)
South Central Florida Life
On Monday, May 3, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Principal Zulaika Quintero of Immokalee Community School in Collier County is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2020-21 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principal Quintero has also identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida College Scholarship.

Also published in:
Immokalee Bulletin (Newspaper)

Free-spending city tries to control the public outcry. Now the city manager’s contract may be on the line. (May 10, 2021)
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Dominic Calabro, the CEO of Florida TaxWatch, a nonprofit government watchdog group, called the city’s actions outrageous with no public purpose: Tamarac leaders have been spending more money on themselves since September, starting with increasing a personal initiative fund to $25,000 each. Earlier this year, they gave each themselves a new $15,000 pot of money for local travel, which is separate from the pot of $55,000 that they share for out-of-town conferences and conventions.

This community college is having none of the inequitable economic recovery
Broward College is leveraging partnerships to offer free education and wraparound support for its most vulnerable community members. They believe their model is replicable across other community colleges. (May 6, 2021) 
New America
An independent analysis of the value of Broward UP conducted by the Florida TaxWatch found impressive economic development and labor market impact including a $71 million boost in personal income in the six zip codes and half a million more in tax revenue to fuel economic development.

Saturn Elementary Principal Kori Hurst Honored With Florida TaxWatch Leadership Award
5TH-GRADE STUDENT SARA DEWITT WAS ALSO HONORED WITH FLORIDA TAXWATCH SCHOLARSHIP (May 5, 2021)
News Break
The Florida TaxWatch Principal Leadership Program has served as the state’s only student performance data-driven recognition initiative for the past six years.
Hurst is one of only three elementary school principals recognized to receive this award, which is based on three years of student performance data and student growth academically.


FL ag commissioner Fried calls for vetoes of ‘big government’ bills passed by GOP-led Legislature (May 4, 2021)
Florida Phoenix
Florida TaxWatch, in an April 21 analysis, also endorsed limits on public health restrictions as good for Florida’s economy, but added a significant caveat about weighing health against wealth:
“It should be noted at the onset that this correlation test does not seek to measure the relationship between state COVID-19 restrictions and resulting public health outcomes, such as death rates. Rather, the test merely seeks to analyze the relationship from an economic standpoint,” the report says.

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

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

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.

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Using Microelectronic Sensors to Continuously Monitor Vertical Infrastructure

Using Microelectronic Sensors to Continuously Monitor Vertical Infrastructure

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).

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

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

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.

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Fair Share Taxes Driven Away by Electric Vehicles

Fair Share Taxes Driven Away by Electric Vehicles

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.

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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

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

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.

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Taxpayer Independence Day 2025

Taxpayer Independence Day 2025

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.

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