Here's a local and state news update from Florida Today and WFIT. I'm Evan Niemczyk.
Former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp says he's always been a small government conservative and tax cut fan. But even he thinks the property-tax cutting Amendment Three on the November 3rd ballot goes much too far.
"There's no mechanism to hold poor counties harmless from this. And they still have to fund core government functions starting with police and fire and emergency operations to do that somehow, or go bankrupt. There's no answer here, other than good luck. If this passes, good luck."
Kottkamp, who now heads Florida Taxwatch, was one of eight panelists critical of the amendment at a Wednesday night forum in Tallahassee. The ballot proposal was approved during a special session of the legislature in June. Only the Florida Association of Realtors has come out in favor of the amendment.
A white van, covered in cameras and sensors, is scanning Melbourne's roads. WFIT’s Terri Wright tells us it’s part of a citywide road study.
"The van’s 3D scanners, LiDAR, pavement lasers, HD cameras, and navigation systems determine which areas require urgent resurfacing and assess every road Melbourne maintains.
In an announcement, the city said It is far less expensive to maintain roads through resurfacing than to rebuild them.” The study will help direct money to the roads that need it most.
The survey is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026, and based on the new data, City staff will update Melbourne’s Pavement Management Plan, creating a priority list for future road repairs."
Fort Lauderdale leaders gathered recently to celebrate the opening of a long-awaited water plant. WLRN’s Zoey Thomas has more.
"Fort Lauderdale’s mayor is promising yellow-tinted water is a thing of the past. That’s thanks to the new $66-million-dollar Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.
The facility replaces the Fiveash Water Treatment Plant, which was almost 70 years old.
Here’s Mayor Dean Trantalis.
"When I go to the gym and put my bottle to refill my water … I no longer see gray water coming through. It doesn't taste like I'm chewing on a pipe. It's really clear, clean water"
The new building can withstand a Category 5 hurricane and will pump 50 million gallons of water per day, compared to Fiveash’s 30 million.
Matthew Allen specializes in managing infrastructure projects like this one. He said water projects often go unnoticed. Fort Lauderdale was different.
"We had a dinner with the team downtown in a nice restaurant, you see these signs in the bathroom warning of the yellow water … so they can start taking these signs down, and they don't need to hand these out anymore. So that's super exciting (applause)"
The new water plant went online last month and comes with a 30-year contract.
I’m Zoey Thomas, in Fort Lauderdale."
Florida education officials approved a rule barring private schools tied to terrorist organizations from receiving state voucher funds.
The rule change follows a new state law and the designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a domestic terrorist group.
Islamic private schools could lose scholarship funding if they are affiliated with or receive support from CAIR.
For these stories and more, visit FloridaToday.com and WFIT.org. I'm Evan Niemczyk