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What you need to know about Florida today
Florida should be able to lower rent, lease sales tax for businesses soon
A reduction in a state tax on commercial leases could begin earlier than anticipated this summer. The timing of the reduction is tied to replenishing the state's Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, which was depleted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A report posted Tuesday by the Legislature's Office of Economic & Demographic Research showed that the unemployment fund is expected to be replenished to its pre-pandemic benchmark of $4 billion in March, earlier than expected. More from the News Service of Florida and the Center Square.
Business Beat - Week of January 12th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Column: Florida’s oldest county is really old. Here’s why that matters.
Florida’s advancing age is mostly thanks to the onslaught of retirees and near-retirees moving to the state. Florida’s birth rate and death rate essentially cancel each other out. The state’s overall population wouldn’t grow much without migration from other states and countries. Financial data shows that as retirees age, they spend less on discretionary things. Florida already has a higher percentage of its total population that doesn’t work compared to most other states. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida may use Seminole gambling money for wildlife corridor
Legislative leaders may use gambling money to help pay for further expansion of a state wildlife corridor and other environmental projects. “Using these new revenues to acquire and manage conservation lands and invest in our clean water infrastructure will be a phenomenal return on investment for our state,” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said in opening remarks to the Senate on Tuesday. “I hope the legislation will earn your support.” [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Is the calabaza the next great gourd for growers in Florida?
If you have eaten at various Caribbean, Central, or South American restaurants, you might be familiar with a specialty pumpkin called the calabaza. Traditionally prepared in several ways as a key ingredient for mouthwatering stews, soups, sides, breads, and even desserts, it is the center of the plate for a team of University of Florida scientists hoping the gourd is ripe for a new industry in the Southeast. [Source: Horti Daily]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› ‘Secret Orlando’ book reveals weird, obscure destinations
What do the I-4 Eyesore, the grave of Bob Ross, a waterskiing elephant and the Waste Pro Garbage Truck Museum have in common? They’re all contained in a travel book with dozens of Orlando’s hidden secrets spelled out within its pages. Fox 35 news anchor John Brown teamed up with Joshua Ginsberg, a Tampa-based author, to write a new book, “Secret Orlando: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.”
› Axiom Space nears next crewed Florida launch as company completes Ax-3 readiness review
Another crewed launch from Florida’s Space Coast is scheduled next week, this time with Axiom Space as its figurehead. Axiom Mission 3, or Ax-3, will be Houston-based Axiom Space’s third crewed mission, using SpaceX hardware to send commercial astronauts to the International Space Station.
› Palm Beach County led nation on a scale ranking income gain since start of pandemic
Palm Beach County’s riches hit a milestone in the early chaotic years of the pandemic with more affluence flowing in than any other county in the nation as wealth migrated in vast sums to the Sunshine State, according to a recent analysis of IRS data. Based on tax return information from 2020-2021, the Washington D.C.-based Economic Information Group found Palm Beach County had a net gain in adjusted gross income of $7 billion, eclipsing runner-up Miami-Dade County’s $6.4 billion and third-place Collier County’s $4 billion.
› Tampa rent prices fell slightly in 2023. Will it make a difference for renters?
After four straight years of steep price increases, the cost of rent in Tampa finally dropped last year – but not by much. Median rent fell by 0.4% in 2023, according to a new report from the website Apartment List. This is little reprieve for a city that experienced a 30% rent increase over the past 3 years – the third highest spike in the country behind Miami and Tucson.
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