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Studio 67FAC News Clips – September 2, 2026
COUNTY
CNW
Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero elected president of statewide association
Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero has been elected president of the Florida Association of County Managers for the 2026-2027 term.
Tampa Bay Beacons
Pinellas has few rules for e-bikes. Could that soon change?
Tampa Bay officials have discussed passing local ordinances to police electric bikes following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS
Fox 13
Manatee County weighs new short-term rental rules, could cost $1.5M in staffing
BRADENTON, Fla. – Manatee County commissioners are taking another look Wednesday at how to regulate short-term vacation rentals after months of complaints from residents about noise, parking, trash and large groups staying in single-family neighborhoods.
Spectrum News 13
Hillsborough County considers rules for short-term rentals
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Short-term rentals are coming under new scrutiny in Hillsborough County as commissioners consider regulations that would give the county more oversight of vacation rental properties.
PROPERTY TAXES
WCTV
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – About two weeks ago, Wakulla County released a 170-page plan on how to fund county services if Florida’s Amendment 3 is passed by voters this November.
St. Johns Citizen
Property tax amendment pauses projects
St. Johns County has paused more than $100 million in capital projects, including the planned Beachwalk fire station, as officials brace for a property tax amendment.
FAC News Clips – September 1, 2026
COUNTY
WFTV
Property tax reform: How Amendment 3 will affect local budgets
Analysts say the proposal on the ballot could save homeowners an average of $3,000 every year
WUWF
Governor Ron DeSantis has announced nearly $23 million in investments to strengthen Florida’s defense workforce, military communities, and defense industrial base.
Gulf Shore Business
Collier expands conservation lands with $1.17 million deal
The 6,672 acres of land Conservation Collier has acquired over 23 years for preservation just expanded through the purchase of 19 properties for $1.17 million — properties that will be used for hiking, nature photography, birdwatching, environmental education and other preservation purposes.
PROPERTY TAXES
Midflorida Newspaper
Local governments plan budgets, with or without Amendment 3
Nov. 3, Florida voters will be marking their ballots for several major races, including that of governor.
Click Orlando
Florida Gov. DeSantis says he’s ‘pleased’ with new language for property tax proposal
ORLANDO, Fla. – After a judge ruled that the ballot language for the proposed property tax amendment was “misleading,” new ballot language has finally been revealed for the plan.
Florida Politics
Ron DeSantis says he will campaign for Amendment 3 after all
How he does it will be determined. But the Governor is getting off the sidelines.
Florida Politics
Report: South Florida hospitals would absorb over two-thirds of Amendment 3’s healthcare impact
Meanwhile, 2 rural hospital districts would lose most of their funding under the proposed change.
TECHNOLOGY
Positively Osceola
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Automated license plate readers located along state-maintained roads in Florida must be removed within 30 days under a new directive from the Florida Department of Transportation.
WOKV
County-by-County | How area sheriffs are responding to FDOT’s order to remove Flock cameras
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration gave the order Monday to shutdown use of a technology that has grown to be seemingly everywhere on state roads.
92.5
Pinellas County Moves To Ban Standalone Data Centers in Unincorporated Areas
Pinellas County commissioners instructed staff Tuesday to draft a resolution declaring that standalone data centers aren’t permitted in unincorporated areas. They don’t plan to authorize them either.
LEGISLATION
Click Orlando
Here are all of the new Florida laws taking effect next month
Over a dozen laws set to take effect on Oct. 1
Florida Politics
Time is running short before Election Day, but the Governor clearly wants to finish strong.
FAC News Clips – August 28, 2026
COUNTY
TC Palm
Martin County targets eight environmentally sensitive lands to buy
Martin County targeted eight properties in the county’s four acquisition priority zones — Indian River River Lagoon, Pal Mar, Lox-Lucie and Blueways — and the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
My Panhandle
Walton County bans Flock cameras from county right-of-ways
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Flock cameras are now banned in parts of Walton County.
PROPERTY TAXES
WUWF
Florida’s public hospitals could lose millions in funding if Amendment 3 passes, new report says
A new report from the Florida Policy Institute finds Amendment 3 could put hundreds of millions of dollars in public hospital funding at risk.
Tampa Bay Times
Who really pays if Florida’s property tax amendment passes in November | Column
Amendment 3 promises a tax cut for homeowners, but the $12 billion hole will be filled one way or another.
Citrus County Chronicle
If the tax money goes away, who picks up the tab?
County commissioners are trying to get ahead of a potential financial hit from Amendment 3 and discussed at their Tuesday meeting how to make additional budget cuts now rather than waiting until after voters decide the issue in November.
DATA CENTER
CBS 12
Palm Beach County commissioners back proposed one-year pause on large data centers
Palm Beach County commissioners have given initial approval to a proposed one-year moratorium on new large-scale data center applications.
STATE
Florida Politics
Gov. DeSantis says ‘we’ve done more for rural than any administration’ as he writes more checks
DeSantis talked statues and small cities at his presser Thursday.
FAC News Clips – August 27, 2026
COUNTY
Flagler Live
Commissioner Andy Dance Wants to Hear From Flagler’s Agricultural Community
Commissioner Andy Dance, who in July became the Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Policy Committee within the Florida Association of Counties (FAC), is seeking input from Flagler County’s robust agricultural community about legislative issues affecting Florida agriculture.
Ocala News
Marion officials advance smoke shop ordinance, add kratom and vape restrictions
Marion County commissioners directed staff on Wednesday to expand the county’s laws on smoke shops to explicitly restrict synthetic kratom products and to establish minimum distances between new smoke shops and schools, churches, and parks.
Click Orlando
Flagler County shifts more tourism dollars to beach protection
The move could delay other visitor-attraction projects — and affect facilities residents use, too
TECHNOLOGY
Fox 13
Pasco County sheriff issues warning as license plate reader cameras program to end: ‘disappointing’
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said he is ending an agreement that allows license plate detection systems along county rights-of-way, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis separately calls for tighter restrictions on the rapidly expanding technology.
Fox 13
Manatee County bans Flock cameras at county-operated parks, facilities
BRADENTON, Fla – Manatee County commissioners voted 5-0 to prevent Flock license plate reading cameras from going up at county parks, facilities and buildings.
Destin Log
Flock cameras are out in Walton County; board cites privacy concerns
WALTON COUNTY − Local leaders are taking steps to scale back the use of controversial surveillance technology that tracks vehicles.
PROPERTY TAX
Boca News
Tax Collector Warns Amendment 3 Could Gut Local Services
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Palm Beach County’s top tax official is the latest official to say Amendment 3 — the Amendment that could lower Florida property taxes — is a horrible idea.
WESH
Seminole County warns of $119M revenue loss if Amendment 3 passes
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County officials are warning of significant service cuts, including public safety and parks, if voters approve Amendment 3 in November, which could result in a $119 million revenue loss.
Miami Herald
Property tax amendment could force Palm Beach cities to fold
Palm Beach County’s top government officials agree: If voters in November approve a plan to cut property taxes, the lost revenue will have to come from somewhere.
AROUND THE COUNT(R)Y
Route-Fifty
Counties are where government has to show its work
COMMENTARY | Counties build and run the machinery of public life under a budget that cannot hide the tradeoffs — and that is what equips them for government’s hardest choices.
FAC News Clips – August 25, 2026
COUNTY
WESH
Seminole County uses AI to identify mosquitoes faster
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —
Heavy afternoon rains are fueling mosquito activity across Seminole County, and mosquito control crews are using artificial intelligence to identify species faster and improve treatment efforts.
PROPERTY TAXES
Tampa Bay Times
Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade‑offs
Some residents could end up with higher costs.
Midflorida Newspaper
Amendment 3 and the conservative temptation | Opinions
This November, Floridians will vote on Amendment 3, a proposal promoted as property tax relief.
WGCU
Sarasota County could see major cuts to critical services if Amendment 3 passes at the ballot box in November, with the Sheriff’s Office alone standing to lose more than $50 million of the property tax revenue it currently receives, new projections show.
PARTNERS
Florida Politics
Spectrum broadband adds 8K new internet customer sites in Citrus County
Spectrum provides a $15K grant for increased digital literacy in the county as well.
WFSU
Duke Energy offers ‘shelf-stable’ meals to Jefferson county seniors
Duke Energy plans to provide shelf-stable meals to Jefferson County residents age 60 and older.
FAC News Clips – August 24, 2026
COUNTY
Flagler Live
Tourism Council Agrees to Shift of Bed Tax Dollars to Beach Management
Flagler County’s Tourist Development Council on Wednesday easily granted the County Commission’s request to continue shifting tax revenue earmarked for tourism-related capital projects to beach management instead.
Tampa Bay Beacons
Should Manatee use tourism funds to improve infrastructure?
Approving a funding request by Holmes Beach for a drainage project could open the floodgates of requests from other municipalities seeking tourist tax funds for infrastructure projects.
The Capitolist
Florida directs $8.8M to rural infrastructure, planning
Twelve rural communities in Northwest Florida will see infrastructure improvements and community development planning thanks to over $8.8 million in grants, the governor’s office announced this week.
PROPERTY TAXES
Florida Politics
‘Unbiased and nonpartisan’: Florida TaxWatch rolls out Amendment 3 ‘resource center’ website
County-level impacts are laid out in a clear form.
Florida Politics
Pushback continues against help for homeowners.
Florida Politics
‘Help for rural’ coming if Amendment 3 passes, Governor says
The cost burden for smaller counties would be absorbed in the state budget.
Getting Connected
Understanding Property Taxes and County Budgets
with Commissioner Terry Burroughs of Okeechobee County, Fla.
Palm Beach Post
County chief warns tax amendment could drive towns into insolvency
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo is warning that several municipalities across the Palm Beaches could become insolvent if voters approve Amendment 3, a statewide ballot measure that would dramatically expand Florida’s homestead exemption and reduce local property tax revenues.
TC Palm
Florida Amendment 3 could cut after school and child care services
Florida’s children’s services councils receive almost all of their funding from property taxes.
Midflorida Newspaper
Florida Tax Watch lambasts Amendment 3’s property tax reform as a rush job
Florida Tax Watch, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, said it would be better if voters defeated Amendment 3, a major property tax cut for homeowners, asserting it fails to keep municipal spending in check and hurts vulnerable Floridians.
PARTNERS
Space Coast Daily
Florida Power & Light’s Solar Expansion Produces $1.3 Billion in Customer Savings
Latest milestone strengthens energy diversity, supports reliable service and helps keep customer bills as low as possible