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Studio 67FAC 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
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.
FAC News Clips – August 17, 2026
COUNTY
Ocala News
Marion County to evaluate local kratom ban during meeting
Marion County commissioners will meet tomorrow to discuss the public health threat posed by kratom and evaluate potential local regulations or bans on the possession, sale, and distribution of the substance across the county.
PROPERTY TAXES
Flagler Live
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has submitted for judicial review a rewritten version of the title and ballot summary for Amendment 3.
WUWF
Property tax amendment raises questions about funding for children’s programs
Florida’s proposed property tax amendment is sparking questions over how it’ll affect funding available for children’s programs.
Tallahassee Democrat
Gov. DeSantis has not been campaigning for Florida property tax plan
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for a constitutional amendment to drastically change the property tax system. Now he’s sitting out the debate. Why?
News Chief
Inept state government is grandstanding with Amendment 3 | Commentary
I had the privilege of serving 12 years on the Polk County Commission.
AROUND THE COUNT(R)Y
Miami Herald
Patients wary of governments, companies pushing AI as a rural healthcare solution
HOT SPRINGS, S.D. – Two of the nation’s most powerful health officials predict artificial intelligence will play a key role in solving rural America’s health challenges.
HOUSING
Herald-Tribune
Sarasota needs more affordable housing. A new law could help build it.
Weeks after Congress passed a major federal housing bill into law, state and local experts continue to dissect the fine print while expressing tempered optimism about its long-term potential to help alleviate an affordability crisis.
LEGISLATION
Florida Politics
Another Special Session for medical freedom and AI? The ball is in Gov. DeSantis’ court
Will DeSantis take another swing?