Nearly a year after the Zephyrhills Fire Department was flooded out of its downtown fire station, the city may finally be ready to repair the 50-year-old building. ...more

January 10, 2009

Businesses across Florida are carefully watching the Legislature with the deepening cash crisis facing state government leading to the most serious talk of eliminating some tax exemptions since former President John McKay took on the tax structure eight years ago. ...more

December 21, 2008

With payroll costs steadily rising and property and sales tax revenue declining, the city is facing a projected deficit of more than $35 million in next year's budget. ...more

December 10, 2008

City Council members got sticker shock this week when Fire Chief Keith Williams told them it would cost $1.3 million to repair and renovate the downtown fire station. ...more

November 12, 2008

Saying that public education cannot endure another year of budget cuts, Florida Education Association (FEA) President Andy Ford on Friday proposed a short-term increase in the state's sales tax, dedicated to all levels of public schools. ...more

October 17, 2008

Who Contacted Us: A coalition of groups calling itself Florida's People, Florida's Promise, which includes AARP, Florida Tax Watch, and Children's Home Society. ...more

October 12, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The bad news that the Pasco County School Board heard Tuesday surprised no one. ...more

October 8, 2008

The idea is tantalizing: Take money saved on Hillsborough County road projects and give it to homeowners as a tax rebate. ...more

September 15, 2008

For the longest time it seemed as if the only thing passing between Pasco County government and the Pasco School District was bad blood. Yes, the two did make common cause in the successful effort to convince the county's voters to approve the Penny for Pasco sales tax, the lion's share of which the two sides split. Still, they argued for months and months over the issue of how to pay for the impact of the school construction the Penny helps finance on roads and other county infrastructure. ...more

August 27, 2008

AVON PARK - Churches and non-profit groups in the City of Charm will have to fork over more money for their fire protection after the council voted 4-1 to charge them 75 percent of the institutional rate for the city's fire assessment. This means that churches will have to pay 50 percent more to the city's fire department through the annual assessment than it did last year, when they were charged 50 percent of the institutional rate. Homeowners will still pay $165, while commercial and nursing home rates were unchanged. ...more

August 25, 2008