News Clips

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 administrator warns of potential cuts to sheriff’s office, key services if Amendment 3 passes

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

‘Trojan horse’: Opposition mounts, warnings about impacts increase from property tax amendment critics

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

FAC News Clips – August 19, 2026

COUNTY

352 Today

Marion County Just Hit Pause on a Kratom Ban — Here’s Why

Commissioners agreed to wait on federal action targeting synthetic products after public speakers and staff warned that a blanket local ordinance could unfairly punish traditional leaf users and responsible businesses.

Miami Herald

Orange tourism panel passes on reviving half-billion-dollar convention center plan

A panel filled with tourism-industry representatives surprisingly voted Tuesday to forward without change a citizens task force’s report that did not recommend funding a $523 million expansion of the county’s convention center.

News 4 Jax

St. Johns County commissioners greenlight $100M conservation bond for November ballot

JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County commissioners voted Tuesday to put a major land conservation measure on November’s ballot, giving residents the final say on a bond that could reshape how the county protects its natural lands for generations to come.

PROPERTY TAXES

Tallahassee Democrat

Florida voters to next decide on property tax amendment

‘It is likely to fundamentally change the way our local governments do business,’ one expert says.

Click Orlando

Amendment 3: Tax cut or ticking time bomb?

Amendment 3 would slash your property taxes — but cities say it could gut police and fire

DATA CENTER

West Volusia Beacon

County votes against allowing data centers in non-city areas

After almost three hours of talk from the public, county planners, lawyers and themselves, the Volusia County Council Aug. 17 unanimously adopted a total ban on the location and development of artificial-intelligence complexes, known as large-scale data centers, within the unincorporated portions of the county.

FEDERAL

Miami Times Online

Weakened federal heat protection rules leave Florida workers sweating

On a hot afternoon last July, a tropical plant nursery worker named Sandra fainted while driving an open-air tractor down a public road between fields in Homestead, Florida.

PARTNERS

La Familia de Broward

Florida Power & Light’s investments in solar deliver more than $1.3 billion in customer savings

Latest milestone strengthens energy diversity, supports reliable service and helps keep customer bills as low as possible

FAC News Clips – August 18, 2026

COUNTY

Midflorida Newspaper

Sumter is working on two budget potentials – proposed and alternate

If Amendment 3 passes, Sumter jobs, programs and services will be impacted

Tallahassee Democrat

Leon County ballot to include “historic harms’ charter amendment

Leon County voters will get a chance to weigh in on the county’s “historic harms” charter amendment this November.

DATA CENTERS

WFTV

Volusia County votes to ban large-scale data centers

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The sun had set by the time Volusia County Commissioners left the chambers on Monday night, most of the evening’s agenda spent on just one hotbed issue; the prospect of Large-scale Data Centers coming to the county limits.

PROPERTY TAXES

Fox 13

Polk County commissioner proposes 1% infrastructure sales tax to offset Amendment 3

BARTOW, Fla. – A Polk County leader is proposing a major tax swap to prevent severe budget cuts if Florida voters approve Amendment 3.

Florida Politics

Ron DeSantis still sees 60% for Amendment 3 under its new ballot language

A proposal workshopped for more than a year appears to be in its final form.

AROUND THE COUNT(R)Y

Route-Fifty

Flock Safety tightens safeguards as states, cities question surveillance network

More than 50 communities have canceled contracts or deactivated cameras this year.

Route-Fifty

6,000 BEAD projects need 86K+ permits, report finds

Researchers found that over half of those projects will need at least 10 permits, while 1 in 7 will require more than 20 across the state, local and federal levels.