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Category archives for: Taxes

Palm Coast Stormwater Fees Going Up 46%, Taxes Stay Level, Most Infrastructure Neglected

FlaglerLive | August 29, 2012

With the Palm Coast City Council’s refusal to raise property taxes , the city’s infrastructure will continue to deteriorate, Mayor Jon Netts and the city administration warned. But a majority of council members, led by Frank Meeker–who’s running for a county commission seat–refused to budge.

Paul Ryan’s Budget: The CBO Analysis

FlaglerLive | August 13, 2012

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office produced a 17-page analysis of the budget Congressman Paul Ryan submitted in 2012. The full analysis is presented.

Andy Dance: Why You Should Support Flagler Schools’ Renewal of the Half-Penny Sales Tax

FlaglerLive | August 3, 2012

Andy Dance, the school board member, explains why your vote approving the renewal of the half-penny sales tax in the Aug. 14 referendum is critical for Flagler County schools. All registered voters may cast a ballot regardless of party affiliation.

Fearing Rejection at the Ballot Box, County Opts to Renew Sales Tax Unilaterally

FlaglerLive | July 31, 2012

The Flagler County Commission decided not to put out a half-cent sales tax renewal to voters this year, choosing instead to renew the tax by a vote of the commission by November. The decision ensures that the tax will stay on the books, generating $4 million for the county and the cities.

When Bankruptcy and a Second Mortgage Combine Into an Opportunity for Florida Homeowners

FlaglerLive | July 26, 2012

“Bankruptcy” and “exciting news” don’t usually go together well in the same conversation. But a recent ruling by a federal court is giving Florida homeowners a window of opportunity to strip off a second mortgage, argues consumer attorney Lewis Roberts.

Flagler School District’s Feared Budget Cut Was Vastly Overstated, But Tax Cut Is Real

FlaglerLive | July 18, 2012

A report in the papers this morning that the Flagler school district was facing an additional $3.8 million cut (or 4 percent of its budget) was premature. The state is cutting the local school tax and its revenue, but making up all the difference except $400,000, which the district has already plugged.

Another Court Ruling Favors Online Travel Companies Over County Tax Collectors, Including Flagler’s

FlaglerLive | July 16, 2012

A Tallahassee judge has sided with online travel companies like Expedia and Orbitz in a dispute over local tax obligations — a blow to counties, including Flagler, that have argued the companies weren’t paying enough.

12% Property Tax Increase and Reserves Will Close $4.6 Million County Budget Gap

FlaglerLive | July 9, 2012

The Flagler County Commission agreed in principle to raise the property tax 12 percent and use a combination of reserves and other one-time dollars to close what, going into the budget season, had been a gaping deficit provoked by new expenses, accounting issues and falling property values.

Facing $5.65 Million Deficit, Flagler County Wrestles With What to Cut and What to Tax

FlaglerLive | June 11, 2012

The deficit was reduced to $3.65 million once commissioners agreed to use reserves and include a $1 million cut in the sheriff’s budget, but their debates got more heated on what services to eliminate or reduce, and what taxes to raise–or what new taxes could be imposed.

County and School Boards Ridicule Emergency Meeting Forced by Elections Supervisor Weeks

FlaglerLive | June 8, 2012

County Commission Chairman Barbara Revels called the emergency meeting “ridiculous,” School Board member Colleen Conklin called it “nonsense,” but neither commission nor school board felt it had a choice but to comply with Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s demand that meeting be held.

In a Stunning Reversal, Palm Coast Council Bows to Acid Opposition and Kills Utility Tax

FlaglerLive | June 5, 2012

The campaign to force the council to reverse course was brutally effective against a council that appeared willing to ignore its own history and a year and a half of its administration’s work on the matter.

County Budget, Upended By Deficit of $3 to $4 Million, Sets Off Crisis Mode–and Pitfalls

FlaglerLive | June 4, 2012

The much larger-than-expected deficit, which forced the abrupt cancellation of a budget workshop, raises questions of accountability just months before four of the county commissioners face elections either to hold on to their seats or seek a higher office.

To Little Opposition, Palm Coast Approves New Levy for Stormwater Fixes, Delays Another

FlaglerLive | May 15, 2012

To little opposition, the council voted unanimously to add a 6 percent tax on electric utility bills, adding, on average, $6.27 a month to monthly residential utility bills. The council defeated a proposal to add a second tax that would have raised an equal amount.

Going Nose to Nose, Palm Coast and The County Remain Split on Half-Cent Sales Tax

FlaglerLive | May 14, 2012

Palm Coast wants to keep the split of the half-cent sales tax revenue what it is today. Flagler County wants to change the formula, which would decrease Palm Coast’s share by $500,000. The disagreement is jeopardizing a unified approach on a sales tax referendum both sides say is critical to their revenue needs.

Palm Coast Looking to Add a Pair of Taxes On Electric Bills to Replace Stormwater Fee

FlaglerLive | May 8, 2012

For residents, the so-called “utility franchise fee” and “public service tax” on electric bills would almost replace the $8-a-month stormwater fee that appears on water bills. The city would likely raise property taxes, too, to generate $7.5 million a year to repair its crumbling infrastructure.

Flagler School District, in a Surprise, Votes to Place ½-Cent Sales Tax Redo on Aug. 14 Ballot

FlaglerLive | April 24, 2012

The Flagler County School Board didn’t want its initiative lost in the clutter of the November ballot, or see it compete against the county’s and cities’ similar initiative, but primary turnout will be heavily Republican–an unhappy prospect for any tax initiative.

In a Defeat for Flagler and 16 Counties, Judge Rules For Travel Companies on Tourism Taxes

FlaglerLive | April 24, 2012

Leon County Circuit Judge James Shelfer ruled in favor of the industry last week, going against Flagler and 16 other counties that argue they have lost out on millions of dollars in tourist-development taxes.

Tea Party’s Tom Lawrence, Back to His Roots, Endorses ½-Cent Sales Tax Before 135 Partiers

FlaglerLive | April 20, 2012

Tom Lawrence, the ardent anti-tax tea party chairman, was the champion of the sales tax Palm Coast lobbied for 10 years ago. He urged the Flagler tea party membership to support the tax again at the polls this year, boosting county government’s arguments for the tax, which Palm Coast so far has not embraced enthusiastically.

After Joint Meeting, Palm Coast and the County Remain Far Apart Over Sales Tax Renewal

FlaglerLive | April 10, 2012

Palm Coast and the county disagree over how to split $4 million in annual revenue from the a half-cent sales surtax. The county wants more than it’s been getting. A joint meeting Tuesday produced good will but no breakthrough.

Flagler County Government Faces Potential $3.3 Million Gap as Stresses and Needs Endure

FlaglerLive | April 9, 2012

The Flagler County Commission got its first budget overview of the year Monday, ahead of six months of discussions, debates and battles over budget priorities in the midst of an election year with its own unpredictable variables.

Gap of Dollars and Concerns Splits Flagler County and Palm Coast Over Sales Tax Renewal

FlaglerLive | April 3, 2012

The two local governments are far apart over how to split revenue from a sales tax surcharge voters would have to approve this November, causing Palm Coast to think of dumping the sales tax–and the county to panic–as the two head for a joint meeting next week.

Scott Signs a Series of Tax Cut Bills, Including Expansion of Corporate Tax Exemption

FlaglerLive | March 28, 2012

While supporters insisted that the legislation signed Wednesday will help provide a better business climate, they were quick to say that a variety of factors were at work in the economy, and it would be difficult to accurately figure out how many jobs the measures might create.

In a Blow to the County, Palm Coast Explores Switch from Sales Tax to New Utility Taxes

FlaglerLive | March 27, 2012

The Palm Coast City Council is exploring dropping a half-cent sales tax surcharge it’s been levying with the county for 10 years, and adopting instead new utility taxes without need for voter approval or splitting revenue with the county.

Florida’s Misguided Lunge for Internet Sales Taxes

FlaglerLive | February 28, 2012

Nancy Nally, a Flagler County-based web publisher, argues that Florida’s proposed law to compel internet merchants to pay sales taxes won’t level the playing field or increase revenue, but hurt local businesses like her own.

Florida Corporations Get a Bigger Tax Break, Shoppers Get Another Sales Tax Holiday

FlaglerLive | February 16, 2012

Gov. Rick Scott called the corporate tax break “a huge victory” for Floridians that would help businesses create more jobs, though there is little evidence that such tax breaks spur job creation, and some evidence that the tax breaks are closer to corporate welfare.

Good News for Flagler Property Owners: Most Home Values Will Barely Fall; Some Will Rise

FlaglerLive | January 30, 2012

Flagler County Property Appraiser’s preliminary estimate sees a property value drop in “the low single-digits” at most, with taxable values rising in Grand Haven and Flagler Beach, among other spots, as the five-year collapse in values appears to draw to an end.