Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–June 4
Jun 4, 2010
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Crist approves property tax break for tainted drywall homeowners
Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill into law Tuesday that will give homeowners with tainted drywall a property tax break. The law, which applies to 2010 and subsequent assessments, says that tax assessments of homes with defective imported or domestic drywall need to be reduced to reflect loss of value. The law is repealed in 2017 unless re-enacted by the Legislature.
Appraisers want taxes to show loss from oil spill
Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones and his counterpart in Santa Rosa County, Greg Brown, are seeking lower property taxes this year for coastal residents whose property values fall because of the oil spill.
South Florida property values, cities take big hit
Continued steep declines in South Florida property values are sure to force local governments to cut back services — or consider raising taxes.
- Blog: Broward’s Lori Parrish: Worst property plunge in history
- Pembroke Pines may set higher tax rate to deal with budget shortfall
- Miami-Dade cities’ budget blues are back — tax hikes, service cuts, layoffs possible
- Palm Beach County classrooms spared from budget cuts
- Column: In Naples…what ‘revenue neutral’ may mean now
Hernando school officials say tax rate needs to increase
It’s time for the Hernando School Board to use what little power it has to raise the district’s tax rate.
Crist signs condo bill designed to ease foreclosure crisis
Reform bill could help associations struggling with financial problems.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law Tuesday a sweeping condominium reform bill that’s expected to help associations devastated by financial problems.
Broward high school students among those facing hard lesson in economics nationwide
Students graduating from high school this spring may be collecting their diplomas just in time, leaving institutions that are being badly weakened by the nation’s economic downturn.
PBS News Hour Transcript: States Grapple With Funding Education Amid Budget Shortfalls
As the school year comes to an end across the country, and with state budgets facing tens of billions of dollars in shortfalls, cuts in the classroom are looming. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said 100,000 to 300,000 public school employees are at risk of losing their jobs. Unions put the number of potential teacher layoffs at 160,000, with the biggest cuts projected to come in states like New York, up to 16,000, and California, as many as 36,000.
687 Broward teachers on surplus list to learn fate next week
About 687 Broward schoolteachers will learn next week whether they have jobs in the fall, school district officials said Wednesday.
Detroit teachers’ generous benefits under fire
Cash-strapped districts go after perks like low-cost health care
Despite multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls in school districts across Metro Detroit, teachers continue to enjoy generous benefits that range from free health care to longevity pay, an analysis of teacher contracts in 10 of the area’s largest school districts shows.
Study credits vouchers for slight gains at Florida public schools
Competition from private-school vouchers has led to small academic improvements in Florida’s public schools, a new study concludes.
Crist saves road jobs with budget gamble
Taking a calculated risk that Florida’s economy will be stronger in years ahead, Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed the Legislature’s ill-advised hijacking of transportation funds.
Judge: Legal filing fees must remain in courts
A judge agreed Thursday with two of Florida’s longest-practicing lawyers who sued to stop the state from diverting surplus money from civil court filing fees away from the judicial system and into the state’s general fund.
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