Tallahassee residents are about to see another increase in their property tax bills — not because City staff is proposing a millage rate hike this year, but because it doesn’t have to. Property values across the city have surged, and if the current rate of 4.45 mills holds, tax bills should increase by an average of 8.69%. […]
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates that Florida is the worst state in the nation for dental access.
Currently, 65 of Florida’s 67 counties are designated, either in full or in part, as dental health professional shortage areas, with population-to-dentist ratios exceeding 5,000 to 1.[…]
In a May 29 Tallahassee Democrat op-ed, a local resident laments Tallahassee’s new growth plan, wringing hands over trees, neighborhood “character,” and supposed flows in a new Comprehensive Plan. But strip away the foliage and euphemisms, and what’s left is a familiar chorus: “I’m not against all growth—just this growth.” […]
If you’ve ever wanted to watch a group of well-meaning citizens twist themselves into philosophical pretzels, look no further than the debate over Tallahassee’s new Comprehensive Plan.
The “Comp Plan,” as the insiders call it, is a big, sprawling, long-range planning document that’s supposed to guide development, transportation, housing, and environmental stewardship over the next 20 to 30 years.[…]
“The Comp Plan.”
It’s one of the least understood – yet most important – documents in all of local government.
It’s short for Comprehensive Plan, a state-mandated policy document that outlines goals, objectives, and policies for the physical development of the community over a 20- to 30-year horizon.[…]
Mayor Donna Deegan’s newly unveiled 8-point plan to streamline Jacksonville’s civil plan review and permitting process is a masterclass in modern governance. It not only accelerates development timelines but also fosters transparency, collaboration, and innovation—qualities that many Florida cities, including Tallahassee, would do well to emulate. […]
Tallahassee’s latest brainstorm? A proposed moratorium on new gas stations through the end of 2025. Because nothing says “forward-thinking governance” like halting business development in response to a single neighborhood’s discontent. […]
In the wake of a number of Red Tape Florida reports on the flailing Tallahassee airport, local government officials are rolling out a plan to throw money at airlines in hopes they’ll stay for more than a weekend. In the latest Blueprint agenda item, TLH outlines its strategy to use Minimum Revenue Guarantees (MRGs)—basically taxpayer-backed safety nets for airlines—as a shiny new tool to lure carriers into offering new routes. […]
Tony Knox is a character. He has run for governor twice. He speaks his mind.
But mainly, he shines shoes.
Lots and lots of shoes.
He had a gig at the Tallahassee airport for more than a decade in the 1990s and 2000s before his contract wasn’t renewed.[…]
Floridians are currently suffering from an affordable housing crisis. According to a recent report from the Florida Housing Coalition, more than 2.1 million Florida households were cost-burdened, or spending more than 30 percent of their monthly incomes on housing costs. This crisis is occurring as a result of a housing supply shortage. […]