Property tax cuts could hurt.
Gov. DeSantis has been pushing a major overhaul of Florida’s property taxes. It would increase the exemptions on your property tax bill, lowering the amount you’d pay. Three ratings agency reviewed the proposal and said it would reduce city and county revenue and hurt the credit ratings of local governments. Voters will decide the fate of the property tax overhaul on the November ballot. The amendment to the state constitution requires 60% approval by voters.
Brightline reports decline in accidents.
The passenger railroad Brightline says incidents along its Florida rail corridor are down 30% compared with last year. The company credits new fencing, crossing improvements and other safety measures funded by a $45 million federal grant. Officials say the upgrades are helping reduce trespassing and dangerous behavior near tracks. Despite recent tragedies, including deaths at crossings in Melbourne, company officials said the latest data shows fewer people are entering dangerous areas near the tracks.
Another airline drops routes in Florida.
Allegiant Air is dropping 61 routes, including 12 in Florida, but will add 8 new routes in Florida. WFIT’s Terri Wright explains.
Despite reporting a 9.6% year-over-year increase in first-quarter operating revenue, Allegiant Air has recently dropped seven airports and eliminated 61 routes, including 12 serving Florida airports such as Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Orlando-Sanford. The ultra-low-cost carrier has also added 49 new routes, eight of them in Florida. Allegiant expects its second-quarter capacity to decline by 6.5% due to the ongoing situation in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
West Marine closing stores.
West Marine, the giant retailer of boating supplies, is closing stores nationwide. The restructuring involves the shuttering of dozens of West Marine stores, including eight in Florida. But A Melbourne representative confirmed both Brevard stores will remain open at this time.
Juneteenth isn’t a holiday in Florida.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it is not an official paid state holiday in Florida. Florida is one of a minority of states that only recognizes Juneteenth as a day of observance. Attempts to make Juneteenth a paid state holiday in Florida have repeatedly failed in the legislature. June 19th, tomorrow, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
Florida Man fined for grabbing a python.
A Florida man riding his bike in Everglades National Park spotted an invasive Burmese python and nabbed the snake before it could slither into the underbrush. Onlookers congratulated him, and told him to hold onto the snake until a park ranger could come. The ranger fined him $180 for handling wildlife without a permit. The case was dropped before it could go to court because the citation was improperly written.
Where does Florida rank for affordable housing?
A new analysis ranks states on the basis of affordable housing. All 50 states were rated for their ability to provide affordable homeownership opportunities while building enough housing to meet future demand. Florida just missed the top 10, coming in at number 11. The state with the most affordable housing was Indiana. New York dropped to last place.
Arthur is dead.
The National Hurricane Center is no longer tracking Tropical Storm Arthur in the Gulf after it made landfall along the Texas coastline on Wednesday. Meteorologist Andrew Wulfeck from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network has the latest.
Just as quickly as Tropical Storm Arthur formed, it fell apart as it made onshore the upper Texas coast. Even though the storm is gone, the impacts will remain with heavy rainfall and the possibility of a few tornadic thunderstorms along the Interstate 10 corridor along the Gulf Coast.
