Sen. Mike Fasano wants to eliminate a quirk in the popular Save Our Homes program that causes home assessments to rise even as their market values drop. ...more

February 17, 2009

The economic slowdown has made construction companies eager to bid on local government projects, and the lower prices are good news for taxpayers. ...more

September 17, 2008

Remember that property tax cut you voted on in January, which added a $25,000 homestead exemption? Amendment 1 is taking effect with the tax bill property owners will receive in July, said Highlands County Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre. So how much will the average homeowner save? The real answer is "it depends," said McIntyre, on whether the taxpayer lives in a city or the county, which water management district, the price of the home, whether it's a mobile home, or if it's a commercial business. ...more

June 26, 2008

Three Pasco County recreation centers will close early on Saturdays and shut down on Sundays to reduce costs. ...more

June 13, 2008

Three Pasco County recreation centers may shut down early Saturdays and close Sundays as officials look for ways to reduce costs. ...more

June 7, 2008

You pull into a city-owned parking garage, driving past an ad for a tow truck company. ...more

May 25, 2008

When city officials broke ground on the municipal airport expansion project at a ceremony in January, they had big dollar signs in their eyes. ...more

May 21, 2008

SEBRING — In Lake Placid, a hiring freeze. In Sebring, no money for the Boys and Girls Clubs. At the South Florida Water Management District, web casts instead of off-site meetings. In recessionary times, with constitutional budget cuts and reduced sales tax revenues, governments are saving money any way they can. Highlands County Last year, Vicki Pontius, Highlands County's parks and recreation director, closed the R.K. Butler Campground on Route 721. "It's a nice facility," Pontius said. "People can still use the boat launch and the basketball court, and there's a picnic table." ...more

February 15, 2008

Gov. Charlie Crist, we are continuously reminded, is on a roll. The popular Republican hybrid has been riding high since hitting the daily double with John McCain and Amendment 1. ...more

February 13, 2008

Gov. Charlie Crist, we are continuously reminded, is on a roll. The popular Republican hybrid has been riding high since hitting the daily double with John McCain and Amendment 1. ...more

February 11, 2008