Suspension of Palm Bay School Zone Speed Camera Program
The Palm Bay School Zone Speed Camera Program was designed to reduce speeding in school zones and protect students. But several issues have caused concern and recent inconsistencies in the accuracy of information do not meet the standards expected.
Authorities have determined that it is in the best interest of the city and its citizens to suspend the School Zone Speed Camera program for the remainder of the current school year.
The City will continue to work diligently with the company to resolve these issues and will reevaluate the program’s reinstatement once improvements have been made.
DeSantis says he will veto state sales tax reduction
Governor Ron DeSantis has pledged to veto any tax reduction package that prioritizes sales tax reduction over property tax reduction.
DeSantis has been pushing to eliminate property taxes in the state. Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez wants to reduce sales tax by 3/4th of a cent.
Wednesday, the governor said Perez’s proposal would bring more relief to vacationers spending money in Florida and is a distraction from his desire reduce or eliminate property taxes. He says he will veto the sales tax plan if it comes to his desk.
“I can tell you any Florida last tax package is going to be dead on arrival. We are not going to knee cap our ability to provide you property tax relief, just so we can give a little bit of a benefit to Canadian tourist, that is not going to happen. So you can take that to the bank.”
About 2/3’s of Florida households own their own home, but critics of abolishing property taxes say removing taxes on business and rental properties could cause significant local government revenue shortfalls.
As legislature prepares to iron out the budget, college scholarships remain on the chopping block
Scholarships for over 20,000 students who attend private institutions of higher learning in Florida are still on the chopping block as the legislature prepares to reconvene next week.
Sam Stark is the Vice President of Communications and External Relations at Rollins and questions the move. Rollins isn’t directly impacted, but he says sister schools will be, and these schools play a crucial role in graduating educated workers to fill high-needs jobs.
“Why would we take that away from our communities, our economic workforce, our economic development, and communities?”
An item in the budget would cut $3,500 scholarships called Effective Access to Student Education or EASE [ease] grants for students to attend 15 private universities and colleges — including HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and faith-based universities.
Proponents in the House say these cuts are needed to balance the budget.
Florida State Parks
Florida State Parks has once again been named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This award recognizes the best park systems across the U.S.
In the competition, Florida is the only state to have earned the Gold Medal four times. The Florida Park Service, one of the largest systems in the country, manages 175 state parks spanning more than 815,000 acres, including 101 miles of sandy beaches, 3,024 miles of trails and 18 springs parks.
This past fiscal year, Florida State Parks welcomed more than 30 million visitors, generating over $82 million in revenue and contributing an estimated $3.7 billion in statewide economic impact.
More: www.floridatoday.com
