More On Gov. Scott Killing Florida’s Growth and Environmental Management

June 1, 2011 Leave a comment

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Future Role of Florida’s Regional Planning Councils?

We now understand that when he signed the budget last week, Gov. Scott line-item vetoed $2.5 million of general revenue in state funding for Florida’s Regional Planning Councils. In return for a portion of this funding, every year the state’s 11 RPCs each enter into contracts with the Department of Community Affairs to provide specified regional planning services.

Effective July 1, the RPCs will no longer receive this funding and will need to determine what services they will provide for their state-mandated functions. It is important to note that this funding is typically a small portion of each RPC’s annual budget.

While HB 7207 made sweeping changes to many aspects of Florida’s growth management system, it left the statutory functions of the RPCs largely intact. How or if RPCs will interact with local governments on the review of comprehensive plans, amendments and Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) as required by state law is unknown at this time.

On a related issue, the growth management bill HB 7207 was transmitted to the Governor’s Office last week and he has 15 days to sign it into law.

1000 Friends will continue to provide regular updates on the many changes to Florida’s growth management process brought about by the 2011 Legislature and Governor Scott. Please visit www.1000fof.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@floridafriends) for timely updates.

Filed under Business and Commerce, Environment, Florida, Management

And The City of Coral Gables Going In Debt!

May 31, 2011 Leave a comment

The irrationality of the city manager’s proposal and the commissioners’ approval of a new spending and debt package for Coral Gables is now crowned by the persistent double dip in housing prices across the country.

The blind push for spending and debt, sacrificing taxpayers and employees in the process, is a hugely disappointing outcome of the recent election.

The ominous new drop for the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of 20 cities, a key measure that is closely watched by economists, casts further doubt about the future of the housing market’s recovery. The index pushed below its previous bottom hit in April 2009, confirming a much-feared double-dip in home prices.

via Case-Shiller home-price index hits new low – latimes.com.

Filed under Coral Gables, Property Values

City of Coral Gables Refinancing Not Urgent–See Economic Report

May 27, 2011 Leave a comment

It has been reported that the GDP growth report rate in the first-quarter is a miserly 1.8 percent.  There is absolutely no pressure for having higher interest rates in the foreseeable future.

Even if the city were to pay to a few thousand dollar in penalities, that does seem to justify taking on debt that hits us with $2 million annually for the next 20 years.

Does anyone look at the alternative uses of money in the city of Coral Gables?  Has anyone take a first year course in economics?  Let’s take our time and consult with the citizens about spending $22 million.

ECONOMIC REPORT

via First-quarter GDP growth remains at 1.8% Economic Report – MarketWatch.

Filed under Coral Gables, Economy, Finance

Krugman’s Notes Should Be For Coral Gables

May 26, 2011 1 Comment

Let soothsayers of good times ahead–including city managers who are speeding up investments and refinancing debt–recognize that we are not slipping out of a recession and we may be slipping back into a recession.

Put together

  • declining property values and revenues for the city of Coral Gables,
  • resistance from unions to accept really important sacrifices,
  • new city debt and ambitious capital program (admittedly, some of which may essential maintenance of city infrastructure),
  • a faltering Biltmore lease,
  • a faltering, sickly real estate market,
  • sluggish retail sales, and
  • candidate promises of no new taxes
and you may get continuing financial weakness and more taxes in Coral Gables.
We note now that

…estimates now suggest that we have now gone through a year and a half of “recovery” that has failed to make any progress toward closing the gap between what the economy should be producing and what it’s actually producing.

via Third Depression Watch – NYTimes.com.

Filed under Business and Commerce, Coral Gables, Finance, Taxes and Fees

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