Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–Sept. 17

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High property tax bills confound owners

Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish has fielded the question ”values are dropping this year, so why did my assessment go up?” from property owners so often that she’s posted an explanation at the top of her homepage.

 

Supreme Court hears arguments on Broward slots

The future of Broward County’s slot machines may rest with the courts.The Florida Supreme Court on Monday was asked to decide whether the vote that opened the door for expanded gambling in Broward and Miami-Dade counties can be nullified if the constitutional amendment was fraudulently put on the ballot.

 

As interviews start for education chief, Crist’s goals await

TALLAHASSEE — If the Jeb Bush era in Florida education meant an emphasis on public school testing and private school vouchers, what will the Charlie Crist era mean?

 

Legislature could hold wild card

If lawmakers sit in on a tribal gambling deal, the tracks would display their political clout.

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Charlie Crist’s willingness to let legislators vote on a possible casino gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe has aroused a powerful force: the tribe’s competitors who own horse and dog tracks and have lots of clout in the state Capitol.

 

If Push Comes To Shove, School Board Should Sue To Protect Mission

It’s not a shock by any means that the Pasco County School Board and county commission haven’t been able to iron out a new interlocal agreement as part of a state law that takes effect next year tying the approval of new residential development to school capacity.

 

Property Tax Relief More Mirage Than Reality For State’s Homeowners

Floridians demanded of Gov. Charlie Crist some kind of property tax relief, and the Florida Legislature quickly acted. The final question is this: Did we get what we asked for?

 

Michael Peltier: Democrat deal may help property tax amendment

Backers of a proposed amendment to expand Florida’s homestead exemption and phase out Save Our Homes may be getting a boost from the most unlikely of sources: The Florida Democratic Party.

 

Editorial: State-mandated budget cuts may be blessing in disguise

This newspaper was not a huge fan of the Florida Legislature mandating tax cuts on local governing bodies such as county commissions, city councils and fire districts.

 

Florida Lottery faces a roll of the dice

Faced with a $1.1 billion shortfall in state-budget revenues, Gov. Charlie Crist is thinking outside the box. Among other things, the governor is considering turning over the Florida Lottery to a private operator. It’s easy to see why. Florida could get a lump-sum payout of as much as $31 billion for leasing the Lottery to a private vendor for 30 or 40 years.

 

Union tries to nibble at Bush’s Service First

Watching labor negotiations between the state of Florida and its employee unions is usually like staring at tropical fish – momentarily interesting, although you know what they’re going to do because they can’t really do anything else.

 

Our view: Only the beginning

Brevard’s budget cuts for next year are just the start of Legislature’s plan

After all the threats, promises, hopes and claims, the Brevard County Commission is about to approve its 2007-08 budget. The total: $1.2 billion.

 

Public services feel sting of county’s hiring freeze

81 vacant positions to remain so indefinitely

Leon County’s hiring freeze is starting to take a toll on its programs and services.  Library books in need of reshelving are piling up on carts. Grass in need of mowing is growing higher along rural roads. And a new system to get information about inmates from ID cards and fingerprints has been delayed, perhaps by as much as five months.

 

Palm Beach County towns bucking state-ordered tax cuts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Some Palm Beach County cities are avoiding state-ordered budget cuts by not reducing property taxes as required by the Legislature.

 

Making Parents Accountable

When it comes to our public schools, accountability is mandatory. That’s why we have the FCAT here in Florida and the No Child Left Behind Act at the federal level.

 

Parents and kids sign on for pre-K

Visitors, parents and children are greeted with a burst of color when entering Seacoast Christian Academy. The walls are painted shades of blues and oranges with murals of fluffy clouds and paper cutout children.

 

Should public vote on growth plans?

Have you signed a petition supporting the proposed “Florida Hometown Democracy” ballot initiative? If you have, keep an eye on your mailbox for a politically charged — and, some would say, deceptive — mass mailing asking you to officially revoke your signature.

 

Schools address black-grad rates

Alarmed by the number of black boys not graduating from high school, School Superintendent Jackie Pons is trying to get to the root of the problem by creating more programs.

 

Primary feud bedevils Dem leader

When Karen Thurman became head of the state Democratic Party two years ago, she vowed to stop Republicans from taking “family” issues away from her party.

 

Student Tasered after asking Kerry questions

A University of Florida student from South Florida was Tasered and arrested Monday when he attempted to speak at a forum with U.S. Sen. John Kerry after the question and answer session had ended, university officials said.

 

IRS opens foreclosure Web site

The Internal Revenue Service said Monday it has added a new section to its Web site to answer tax questions for those losing their homes due to foreclosures.

 

Check campaign contributors, but even more to the point, stop bundling

ISSUE: Money scandal costs Clinton $850,000 worth of donations.

Talk about bad timing.  No sooner had the Democratic presidential candidates signed a pledge to snub Florida’s Jan. 29 primary than a major fundraising scandal broke in the camp of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The embarrassing revelations forced the New York senator and former first lady to return $850,000 worth of campaign contributions raised by a single individual.

 

Educators get lessons on teaching sex education

Forty Brevard Public Schools health and physical education teachers were instructed Monday on how to deliver 12 new sex education lessons, which include — for the first time — information on the effectiveness of condoms and birth control in preventing disease and pregnancy.