Press Releases

Florida lawmakers will have a $635 million surplus when they craft the 2016-17 state budget, but in a new research report, Florida TaxWatch warns that spending the entire surplus will create a deficit in the near future.

South Florida’s economy has seen considerable growth in recent years, thanks to a wide variety of investment options for foreign and domestic investors, according to a commentary from Florida TaxWatch, the independent, nonpartisan research group. A burgeoning innovation sector, increased foreign investment and a bolstered financial services market have augmented the region’s rapid growth.

College football victories are associated with better student recruitment, according to a recent report from Florida TaxWatch. The Economic Commentary highlights the residual academic benefits experienced by universities with winning sports teams.

To better educate Florida’s taxpayers and public officials using high quality, independent research and analysis, Florida TaxWatch has added several new members to its respected team.

Statement from Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro about Florida TaxWatch’s independent watchdog role with the Broward County Schools’ Bond Oversight Committee.

State economists predict lawmakers will have $657.5 million more than previously anticipated for the next state budget. The latest General Revenue (GR) forecast shows the state’s GR fund is expected to reach $31.6 billion for the 2016-17 budget year. The growing available funds mean recurring revenues exceed current recurring expenses by $1.6 billion.

Florida’s thriving tourism industry provides extraordinary opportunities for economic growth. Increasing investment in the Sunshine State’s tourism industry has a direct impact on job creation in the state, and the economic impact can be felt throughout many of Florida’s other industries.

Former Governor Bush announced his vision for America today, explaining how he plans to take on Washington. The cornerstone of his plan to curb excessive and irresponsible government spending is to implement Presidential veto power, a responsibility the Governor is familiar with thanks his bulldog approach to the Florida budget.

This week, President Obama announced the commutation of 46 nonviolent federal offenders, offering them a second chance. Eleven of these offenders who will be released early from their prison sentences are Floridians who have a unique opportunity to re-assimilate into their communities and become productive taxpaying citizens in the Sunshine State.

Despite lawmakers’ efforts to increase transparency while crafting the 2015-16 Florida state budget, 189 projects worth $167 million were inserted into the budget without sufficient public scrutiny, or circumventing established budget processes, according to the Florida TaxWatch 2015 Budget Turkey Watch Report: An analysis of the accountability and transparency of the budget process.

While Florida TaxWatch appreciates the Legislature’s $400 million tax cut package that included a much needed reduction in the prohibitively high Communications Services Tax, it is disappointing that lawmakers did not provide more relief to the state’s hardworking taxpayers…

Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet honored the Florida TaxWatch Prudential Productivity Awards program and state employees by designating June as Prudential Productivity Awards Month. The awards program honors hundreds of state employees each year for their innovative cost-saving ideas that have reduced costs and improved services for Florida taxpayers…

Florida TaxWatch celebrated Taxpayer Independence Day on Monday, April 20, 2015. Taxpayer Independence Day is the first day in the calendar year that Florida taxpayers, on average, begin earning income that does not go toward federal, state and local taxes. Yesterday, the Florida Senate, led by Senator Jeff Brandes, recognized that Florida remains a low-tax state by adopting Senate Resolution 1668.

“Florida taxpayers and their children are facing more than $10.5 billion in debt due to increasingly rich and consistently over-promised government pensions. These obligations will be paid by taxpayers who don’t have access to similar benefits in the private sector, because pension plan beneficiaries take on no risk, yet the taxpayers indemnify losses…

The Florida Legislature has once again proven its commitment to increasing accountability in state government by ensuring the state’s inspectors general are best equipped to serve the state’s taxpayers as trusted, independent investigators…

Greater oversight and additional measures to improve the accountability of the government agency responsible for providing cost-effective electricity to more than two million Floridians are needed, according to a new report from the independent watchdog institute, Florida TaxWatch.

A more than $4 billion dollar difference between the House and Senate budget proposals is detailed in the latest Budget Watch from Florida TaxWatch. The nonpartisan taxpayer watchdog group’s annual analysis of the initial budgets shows that the largest point of contention between the chambers is in funding the health and human services portion of the budget.

Statement from Dominic M. Calabro, President and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, the independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute and government watchdog: “Today, the Florida House Finance and Tax Committee unveiled their plans to cut Floridians’ taxes by $690 million this year. I commend the House leaders for their efforts to produce a broad-based tax cut package that will help save money for hardworking Florida families and the businesses that invest in our communities and provide jobs to our residents.

Hundreds of state employees gathered on Thursday at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in downtown Tallahassee at a luncheon honoring winners of Florida TaxWatch’s 2015 Prudential Productivity Awards. The 27th Annual event is designed to highlight and reward state employees who innovatively reduce costs and improve services for Florida taxpayers.