Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today announced the winners of the 2020 TaxWatch Productivity Awards (TPA). For more than 30 years, the TPA program has recognized and rewarded the dedication and hard work of state employees who find ways to improve services, increase efficiencies, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The 2020 awards were presented by Kyra Solutions, Inc.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its latest briefing, Local Tax Referenda on the November 2020 Ballot: What Passed?, providing commentary on the outcomes of local referenda considered by the voters on the 2020 general election ballot. This briefing follows Florida TaxWatch’s 2020 Voter Guide Special Edition: Local Tax Referenda report which was issued prior to the election and provided voters with a thoughtful analysis of these proposed ballot initiatives, tax increases, and new bond issues.
PRINT & DIGITAL Workers Push to Pass Amendment 2 for $15 Minimum Wage as Florida’s Tourism Industry Fights It (October 1, 2020) Orlando Sentinel Orlando
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the 2020 Voter Guide Special Edition: Local Tax Referenda, analyzing the 33 ballot referenda before voters across Florida which propose more than $360 million in tax increases and $200 million in new bond issues. Voters in 11 localities will also help decide questions regarding property tax exemptions, and there are at least 150 charter amendments being decided on local ballots.
This report is part of our larger How Florida Compares series, which is intended to help Floridians better understand their state through data. This report, like each report in this series, provides neutral, nonpartisan information on where Florida ranks compared to our 49 sister states and the national average.
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!
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the 2020 Florida Taxpayers’ Voter Guide to Florida’s Constitutional Amendments providing taxpayers with independent analysis and voting recommendations for each of the six proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot during the 2020 general election. In analyzing each proposed amendment, FTW considered the impact of the amendment, the arguments made by parties both for and against its implementation, the amendment’s fiscal impact on Florida taxpayers, and its appropriateness as a constitutional amendment. As a part of the 2020 Voter Guide, FTW also includes the full text of each proposed amendment and a notes page for voters to jot down their own thoughts on these issues and take it with them to the polls.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released its Education Leadership Roundtable Summary Report, which explores ways to improve the overall quality of Pre-K–12 education by examining the “best practices” of some of the state’s most effective public-school principals. The summary report includes key strategies for success shared during a recent FTW Education Roundtable Discussion, along with supporting research and key takeaways.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released its Taxpayers’ Guide to Florida’s FY2020-21 State Budget, providing an overview and analysis of the record $92.27 billion FY2020-21 Florida State Budget which was signed by Gov. DeSantis on June 29 and took effect July 1, 2020. The FY2020-21 budget, originally passed by the Florida Legislature totaling more than $93.2 billion, was cut with a record $1 billion in vetoes by Gov. DeSantis in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released the 2020 Budget Turkey Watch Report: An analysis of the transparency and accountability of the budget process, its annual independent review of the state’s budget. The report, which has been released annually since 1986, promotes additional oversight and integrity in Florida’s budgeting process and is based on the principle that because money appropriated by the legislature belongs to the taxpayers of Florida, the process must be transparent and accountable, and every appropriation should receive proper deliberation and public debate. This year’s Budget Turkey Watch Report also highlights the particularly important need to scrutinize the entire budget, in the context of the uncertain fiscal environment created by COVID-19.
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