Coral Gables Environment, Politics and Government
December 8, 2010 Leave a comment
Baker’s bad news includes up to $400 million more in state Medicaid expenses and $150 million less in school property tax collections due to a 1.2 percent drop in real estate values than previously predicted for 2011-12.
via Florida’s 2011-12 budget outlook getting gloomier – BusinessWeek.
December 8, 2010 Leave a comment
This describes a Florida, Miami-Dade and Coral Gables that will face more property tax declines. Unless governments keep reducing outrageous public salaries and benefits and control other spending and staffing, Coral Gables’ taxpayers will have to pay more next year, without doubt.
This is a strong reason to bring in a new mayor and commissioners.
Jobs growth is anemic, she said, and the housing market is still in the tank. Florida’s gross-domestic product was 45th in the country in 2009, and dead last in 2008. In comparison, Florida’s GDP was fourth-best in the country in 2005.
Personal income has been slowly growing since the second quarter of 2009 in Florida, but the state still ranks only 37th in this category. The state’s October unemployment rate of 11.9 percent was the nation’s fourth-worst, and population growth is nearly flat.
At the same time, existing home sales are slowing, prices are flat and Florida had the second-highest foreclosure rates in the country in October. Cape Coral-Fort Myers had the second-highest number of foreclosures among metro markets in the country in October, Miami-Fort Lauderdale was the seventh-worst, and Orlando-Kissimmee was the 10th-worst.
“It is still very slow, a very gradual recovery,” Baker told the Senate Budget Committee Tuesday morning, cautioning that Florida’s time frame for an economic rebound would lag the national picture “because it’s driving both our tourism and our population growth.”
December 8, 2010 Leave a comment
If I was the city of Coral Gables I would plan for the worst revenue situation. Taxpayers, take notice–the city will hit you again next year.
A legislative economist told the Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday that she expects a predicted $2.5 billion budget gap to widen because Florida’s economic recovery has been slower than forecast.
The panel’s chairman, meanwhile, hinted that Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s campaign promises for deep spending and tax cuts may run into trouble in the Legislature.
via Florida’s 2011-12 budget outlook getting gloomier – BusinessWeek.
December 6, 2010 Leave a comment
Dialogue Needed. This city lacks a forum for open dialogues on community concerns. There are many current concerns in the city, including city services, taxes, fees, the city’s budget, the economic future of the city, trends in business and commerce, the Hotel Biltmore matter, the Coral Gables Country Club, the museum, infrastructure priorities, community charity needs, the environment, education, youth, historic preservation, public security, among others.
Need. There is need for community dialogue that goes beyond blogs, newspapers and news websites and the Miami Herald. There should be an open, neutral, fair and disinterested forum where political leaders, business people, teachers, students, community organizations can come together to talk about their concerns without the necessity to insult and raise personal attacks.
Organizations. There are many good community and related organizations in Coral Gables, including business groups (Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Lions, Coral Gables business associations,etc.), charitable organizations independent of the city and others financed by city funds (Coral Gables Community Foundation, political action committees and many others that are not listed here. Unfortunately, these groups discuss current local concerns only rarely and not in the business of a having a forum of open and health debate.
Participation. The city Commission is reticent to have more citizen participation. Of course, there are many city boards that serve as in indirect filter for community opinions, but the board members are selected by the Commission members and, thus, do not always account for a wide swath of views. Citizens are invited to express opinions at the city Commission session about very specific and limited subjects, and they are usually restricted to making a few minutes of comments under the sometime irritated or bored gaze of the commissioners.
There is no good single forum where highly different views can be expressed openly and freely
Coral Gables Watch 