Fiscally, Florida is in good condition. This is also true of the state’s debt position. FY 2020-21 marks the eighth consecutive year with a debt ratio below the 6 percent target.
On November 26, 2021, Florida TaxWatch received the Bond Oversight Committee Quarterly Report for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2021 (“Quarterly Report”). This report provides updated information on the implementation of the District’s SMART Program and the use of general obligation bond funds to purchase and install technology upgrades, purchase music, and art equipment, improve school safety, upgrade athletic facilities, and renovate educational facilities.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Navigating Federal Pandemic Relief: Following Billions in Stimulus Dollars, Where Do We Go From Here? The report presents an analysis of the dollars allocated to Florida for the six stimulus packages Congress has passed since March 2020 and offers recommendations to help the state take full advantage of the federal funding that has not yet been spent or the additional funds that it will receive in the near future.
The massive amount of federal funding provided in the six stimulus acts provides an unprecedented opportunity to improve Florida and fund programs and infrastructure that have had long-standing backlogs with few past feasible opportunities to address to this degree.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for Leisure and Hospitality in Florida, the fifth installment in the taxpayer research institute’s COVID-19 Legacy Series. The report outlines the Leisure and Hospitality sector’s significant contributions to Florida’s economy prior to the onset of the pandemic and explains how COVID-19 has exposed lingering vulnerability within the service and tourism industries, while also presenting several considerations and opportunities to help prepare for inevitable disruptions in the future.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2022 Legislature Should Reauthorize the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program, a report wherein the government watchdog contends the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund program – which expired on June 30, 2020 – should be reauthorized by the Florida Legislature in 2022, enabling the state to directly compete with Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and others to attract companies in high value-added industries that are considering settling or expanding their operations.
On September 17, 2021, Florida TaxWatch received the Bond Oversight Committee Quarterly Report for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2021 (“Quarterly Report”). This report provides updated information on the implementation of the District’s SMART Program and the use of general obligation bond funds to purchase and install technology upgrades, purchase music and arts equipment, improve school safety, upgrade athletic facilities, and renovate educational facilities.
Last year, COVID-19’s arrival in Florida and the attendant economic shutdown had state forecasters—and virtually everyone else–predicting gloomy fiscal times for Florida. The 2020 legislative Long-Range Financial Outlook estimated that the 2021 Legislature would be facing a budget shortfall of $2.7 billion, and without significant spending cuts, the shortfalls would continue for at least two more years.
Florida General Revenue (GR) collections continue to exceed expectations throughout the pandemic and the new forecast paints a rosy budget picture for legislators as they head toward the 2022 Session.
On May 28, 2021, Florida TaxWatch received the Bond Oversight Committee Quarterly Report for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (“Quarterly Report”). This report provides updated information on the implementation of the District’s SMART Program and the use of general obligation bond funds to purchase and install technology upgrades, purchase music, and arts equipment, improve school safety, upgrade athletic facilities, and renovate educational facilities.
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