Press Releases

West Palm Beach, Fla. – Today, Thurs., March 16, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Indian Ridge School Principal Eugene Ford and Rosenwald Elementary School Principal Bruce Hightower are among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Principals Ford and Hightower have also each identified one deserving student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship. 

Miami, Fla. – Today, Tues., March 14, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will proudly announce that Dr. Bridgette Tate-Wyche – immediate past principal of Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County, now principal at Miami Northwestern Senior High School – is among the nine winners of the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA). Through the program, Dr. Tate-Wyche has also identified one deserving Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center student to receive a full two-year Florida Prepaid College Scholarship.   

West Palm Beach, Fla. – On Thurs., March 16, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will honor Indian Ridge School Principal Eugene Ford and Rosenwald Elementary School Principal Bruce Hightower with the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Award (PLA), which identifies Florida’s most effective principals in high-risk K-12 public schools, recognizes and rewards their work, and promotes their transformational practices throughout the state.   

Tallahassee, Fla – Today, Florida TaxWatch is hosting its annual State of the Taxpayer Dinner, providing the opportunity for the state’s elected leaders and policymakers to speak directly to the interests of taxpayers. Once again, the event serves as a forum for Cabinet members, legislators, and key leaders to discuss critical issues that are impacting Florida families and businesses. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released its review of the Broward County School District’s Safety, Music & Art, Athletics, Renovations and Technology (SMART) program in its report Monitoring and Oversight of General Obligation Bonds to Improve Broward County Schools: SMART Program Quarterly Report Review for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2022.   

Tallahassee, Fla. – With the recent start of Florida’s 2023 Legislative Session, Florida TaxWatch is once again hosting its annual State of the Taxpayer Dinner on Tues., March 14 at 6 p.m. Held at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Conference Center in Tallahassee, the program will offer the state’s elected leaders and policymakers the opportunity to speak directly to the interests of hard-working taxpayers and their families.

Miami, Fla. – On Tues., March 14, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) will honor Dr. Bridgette Tate-Wyche – immediate past principal at Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County, now principal at Miami Northwestern Senior High School – with the Florida TaxWatch 2022-23 Principal Leadership Award (PLA), which identifies Florida’s most effective principals in high-risk K-12 public schools, recognizes and rewards their work, and promotes their transformational practices throughout the state. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – With the recent start of Florida’s 2023 Legislative Session, Florida TaxWatch is once again hosting its annual State of the Taxpayer Dinner on Tues., March 14 at 6 p.m. Held at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Conference Center in Tallahassee, the program will offer the state’s elected leaders and policymakers the opportunity to speak directly to the interests of hard-working taxpayers and their families.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released a list of taxpayer priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session, which begins on Tues., March 7 and is scheduled to adjourn on Fri., May 5. The list reflects a range of issues that the independent, nonpartisan taxpayer research institute has examined and will continue to closely monitor during the upcoming session. 

Please find below a letter from Florida TaxWatch President and CEO, Dominic M. Calabro, sent to state Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa), related to the senator’s request that the government watchdog review the Tampa Bay Pilots Association’s request for an increase in pilotage fees prior to the Pilotage Rate Review Committee’s meeting on Thurs., March 2. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Extending State Group Insurance to the Florida College System Case Study: Indian River State College. In this briefing, FTW analyzes the benefits of extending the State Group Insurance Program (SGIP) to the 28 colleges that comprise the Florida College System (FCS). Citing a December 2021 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study, FTW states that offering this defined benefit program – where the employee pays a fixed amount toward the monthly premium (for individual or family coverage) and the state pays the remainder – would be an investment in the continued development of Florida’s specialized workforce.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The statement below, to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro, pertains to the tax relief measures Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced as part of his Framework for Freedom Budget.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Florida Voters Continue to Say Yes to Proposed Tax Increases, a briefing examining the trend of Florida voters approving tax increases at the local level. This report builds on FTW’s February 2021 analysis, A Decade of Self-Taxing, which found that Floridians increased their own taxes 142 times since 2010. The new report focuses on voting patterns in the 2021 and 2022 elections, including voters’ propensity for authorizing county-wide sales and property tax increases, and more.

  Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, in partnership with Associated Industries of Florida, CareerSource Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Florida, and FloridaMakes, Florida TaxWatch is releasing a report entitled Producing More Talent: MakeMore Manufacturing Summit 2022 Summary Report. The report summarizes presentations made at the fourth annual MakeMore Manufacturing Summit in October 2022, themed “Producing More Talent,” as well as focus group discussions held prior to the Summit among representatives from a variety of companies across the state that depend on a strong manufacturing workforce. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released The Importance of Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Grants. In the report, FTW underscores the financial and economic benefits of the EASE Grant Program, which was established by the Florida Legislature in 1979 to offset declining student enrollment at private colleges and universities.