AVON PARK - Churches and non-profit groups in the City of Charm will have to fork over more money for their fire protection after the council voted 4-1 to charge them 75 percent of the institutional rate for the city's fire assessment. This means that churches will have to pay 50 percent more to the city's fire department through the annual assessment than it did last year, when they were charged 50 percent of the institutional rate. Homeowners will still pay $165, while commercial and nursing home rates were unchanged. ...more

August 25, 2008

The University of South Florida has begun to "judiciously" draw from its reserves as it tries to dampen the effects of a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, the university's provost said Friday. ...more

August 23, 2008

I'd like to offer my suggestion on one way to help cover the budget shortfall for schools in Hillsborough County. How about laying off a couple of school board members? The savings on the $40,000 salary from each would free up enough money for hiring at least a couple of new classroom teachers. ...more

August 7, 2008

Hillsborough County commissioners today restored millions of dollars in cuts to services for children and the elderly and created a property tax grant for veterans who rent their homes. ...more

July 31, 2008

Hundreds of parents told Hillsborough County commissioners they would be willing to pay a fee or increased fees if the county would protect after-school and summer recreation programs from budget cuts. ...more

July 30, 2008

SEBRING –– Some Highlands County roads may sit a while longer before they're repaved, and other proposed projects may be pushed back due to an anticipated shortfall in sales tax revenues. The local one-cent sales tax that shoppers pay is used to build and maintain many of the roads, bridges and some other buildings throughout the county. For this fiscal year, County Budget Manager Tim Mechling said he expects only $7.8 million of the $9.1 million in sales tax revenue to come his way. The 15-percent anticipated drop in revenues mean that the county's infrastructure fund will have to do with less. . Though Mechling declined to mention specific projects that could be on the chopping block because the the county commissioners have not decided yet, Mechling said the county may delay several planned road resurfacing and some new construction. "It's something we're still working out," he said. ...more

July 6, 2008

The scene is eerily familiar: a blond woman in the shower, a shadowy image approaching, the maniacal shrieking as the shower curtain rips open. Then the scream. ...more

June 29, 2008

The Pasco County School District will hold a town-hall meeting Monday to seek input on the district's plan for making sure schools teach students the skills employers want. ...more

June 1, 2008

If Pasco County schools Superintendent Heather Fiorentino can persuade the school board to avoid a single layoff, maintain current salaries and not touch any classroom programs to combat an anticipated $16 million budget shortfall, she should be administrator of the year. ...more

May 11, 2008

For a lot of people, the end of the school year can't come soon enough. ...more

May 7, 2008