Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–Oct. 22

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Letter from Gov. Charlie Crist: Cut property taxes; our bosses expect results

The greatness of our nation’s democracy relies on participation from all of its elected representatives.

 

House passes rival property tax proposal

Meanwhile, Senate leaders told their members they can stay home until at least Thursday, a sign that the two chambers remain far apart on how to provide property tax relief to millions of Florida residents.

 

Lawmakers may give up on cutting property taxes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Senate President Ken Pruitt advised his stay-at-home members Monday they may not need to return to the Florida Capitol depending on what the House does this week on property tax relief.

 

House comes back to Senate resistance

TALLAHASSEE — Signaling a widening gulf with the House over its $9.1 billion property tax relief plan, Senate President Ken Pruitt announced today that his chamber wont convene until Thursday.

 

Chambers’ chasm endangers chance for tax changes

When Florida lawmakers return to the capital this week, they will face an uphill battle putting a constitutional amendment on the Jan. 29 ballot that would cut the property taxes that local governments can impose.

 

State’s deep geographic lines show in tax talks

TALLAHASSEE — After months of mulling over lofty economic theories about revamping the state’s property tax system, the biggest hurdle for lawmakers may be how to help ‘abuelitas’ in Miami-Dade County without hurting chicken farmers in the Panhandle.

 

Tax debate moves in and out of sunshine

In the marbled halls and paneled offices of the state Capitol, away from the glare of TV lights and out of earshot of reporters, lawmakers are shaping the latest plan to slash billions in property taxes.

 

This old House, Senate poor tax-cut carpenters

Stick a fork in this special session of the Legislature. Please. Let it be done. Officially, the Legislature can meet until Oct. 29 to approve a tax-cut amendment for the Jan. 29 ballot.

 

State Rep. Carl Domino’s ‘portability’ persistence pays off

It was 2003, and leaders of a South Florida civic association had a beef about their property taxes. For a solution, they turned to a multimillionaire graduate of the Harvard Business School who sits in the state Legislature.

 

Time To Figure Out A Property Tax Plan B Setbacks Crop Up In Property Tax Reform

State lawmakers return to Tallahassee today to continue the special session on property tax reform. Last week, instead of nearing a consensus, the House and Senate grew even further apart, with House members overhauling their plan on Friday.

 

Editorial: The wheels come off

It would be nice to believe that a mass case of temporary sanity broke out in Tallahassee this week; that lawmakers suddenly realized they were about to make a dangerous hash out of Florida’s already inequitable tax code and decided to edge away from the brink before they did real damage.

 

Michael Peltier: Special sessions can be quirky

Special sessions are odd things.  At their best they epitomize focus and the concept of compromise. At their worst, they are back-room affairs where a handful of players drive an agenda that can disintegrate quickly into chaos and inaction.

 

Governments turn to CRAs to pay for a better future

When Jeff Brown moved to Orlando in 1989, Lake Eola was a desolate place with more transients than strollers after dark.

 

Broward transit stuck in low gear

The scene must have seemed all too familiar to the 200 transportation professionals, elected officials and civic leaders who gathered with a smattering of regular folks last week at the Broward County Convention Center.