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Hillsborough County commissioners are seeking a detailed report on how Florida’s newly passed property tax relief plan could affect the county, following the legislature’s approval of the measure during a special session on Tuesday. The amendment will appear on the November ballot, and if approved by 60% of voters, it would raise the homestead exemption…
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Largo city commissioners have approved major updates to redevelopment plans aimed at attracting new investment, expanding housing options, and creating jobs along key corridors in the city. The changes, approved May 19, update land-use policies within the Clearwater-Largo Road and West Bay Drive community redevelopment districts. City officials say the revisions will encourage higher-density, mixed-use…
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Florida legislators approved a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would eliminate property taxes on primary residences, sending the measure to voters for a final decision this November. The vote came during a special session called last week by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has framed rising property taxes as a mounting burden on Florida homeowners. For the…
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As June marks National Homeownership Month, many Tampa Bay residents are still struggling to enter the housing market, with mortgage rates remaining above 6.5% and everyday costs high. Experts say inflation — driven in part by global instability and rising energy prices — continues to make borrowing expensive. Sylvia Alvarez, CEO of the Housing &…
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Monday marked the official start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, and Florida residents are already heeding the call to prepare — many of them motivated by memories of the back-to-back storms that battered the state in 2024. Forecasters are predicting a below-average hurricane season this year, but for many residents, recent storms remain fresh…
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As the cost of pet food continues to climb, Feeding Tampa Bay has partnered with Greater Good Charities and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay to make pet food and supplies a consistent offering at its food distribution markets. Through the partnership, people visiting Feeding Tampa Bay’s Hillsborough and Pinellas County markets can now pick…
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The State of Florida has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, becoming the first state to bring such an action against the artificial intelligence company. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the suit Monday, alleging that OpenAI knowingly marketed ChatGPT to the public while concealing serious risks to users. Uthmeier said…
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Local governments across the Tampa Bay region are raising concerns about a state property tax relief plan being debated in a special legislative session in Tallahassee, warning that cuts to property tax revenue could force reductions to city services beyond public safety. Florida lawmakers convened a special session to consider major changes to the state’s…
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The Pinellas County School Board is set to vote on whether to purchase advanced weapons detection systems following a brief pilot program that ended after just nine days — well short of its originally planned run through the end of the school year. Safety officials say the nine-day data collection period was sufficient to reach…
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Treasure Island city commissioners are meeting tonight to continue deliberations over a proposed Planned Development ordinance that has divided residents and officials over the future character of the Gulf Coast community. The ordinance, which was first discussed last month, would not approve any specific building projects immediately. Instead, it would establish a process allowing property…
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Florida lawmakers returned to Tallahassee Tuesday for the second day of a special legislative session focused on a proposed overhaul of the state’s property tax system, with final votes expected as early as this week. The special session was called by Gov. Ron DeSantis to consider a constitutional amendment aimed at reducing or eventually eliminating…
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Gas prices across Florida have dropped sharply in recent days, offering drivers some relief after months of steep increases tied to the ongoing U.S.-Israel military conflict with Iran. The price of crude oil has largely declined over the past two weeks, falling from $108.66 per barrel down to $87.36 on Friday. The drop has translated…
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Some Tampa City Council members say they were left out of negotiations that produced the framework for a publicly financed Tampa Bay Rays stadium, raising questions about the role elected legislators play under the city’s strong-mayor form of government. While officials in Mayor Jane Castor’s administration participated directly in talks with the Rays, Hillsborough County,…
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Duke Energy Florida customers will see lower electricity bills this month after the company implemented its third rate reduction of 2026, which took effect Monday. The latest reduction is expected to save residential customers roughly $6 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours used. Combined with two earlier reductions this year, customers’ monthly bills are now approximately $50 lower…
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Google is asking federal regulators for permission to release up to 32 million mosquitoes in Florida and California as part of an effort to reduce populations of the insects that spread dangerous diseases. The initiative, called the “Debug” program, involves releasing sterile male mosquitoes carrying a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia, which prevents them from…
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The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially began today, June 1, and while forecasters expect a quieter-than-average year, meteorologists are pointing to several areas where storms could still develop this month. The Gulf of Mexico is considered the most favorable area for tropical development in June, along with the northern Caribbean Sea and the southwestern Atlantic…
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Florida legislators are gathering in Tallahassee today for the state’s third special session of the year, taking up a sweeping property tax relief proposal put forward by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor’s plan, called “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes,” centers on increasing the homestead exemption to shield the first $250,000 of a home’s…
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As hurricane season officially gets underway Monday, the City of Tampa used a weekend expo to roll out its first-ever Hurricane Preparedness Guide and remind residents of the lessons learned from the devastating 2024 storm season. City leaders unveiled the guide Saturday at a hurricane preparedness expo at Cordelia B. Hunt Community Center, which drew…
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Pinellas County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a landmark agreement Friday, ending a nearly eight-year standoff over federal funding for beach renourishment projects along the county’s coastline. The dispute dates to 2018, when the Army Corps began requiring all affected coastal homeowners to sign perpetual easements as a condition of federal cost-sharing.…
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Florida lawmakers approved a nearly $115 billion state budget Friday following a special session called to break a deadlock between the Republican-led House and Senate — the second consecutive year a special session was required to finalize spending. The budget passed the House 99-6 and cleared the Senate unanimously. Supporters said the package includes significant…
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A proposed data center in Lakeland will not come before city commissioners Monday, officials confirmed, though the project is moving into its early review stages. The city has received an application for the project, referred to as “Project Swan,” which would be situated near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkenson Road and span more than 60…
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Florida homeowners saw their insurance premiums climb at roughly twice the national pace between 2021 and 2025, according to a new report, with experts divided over the cause. The report, from the national nonprofit Coalition for an Insurable Future, found that homeowners’ insurance costs rose an average of 38 percent across the United States during…
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The St. Petersburg City Council is set to take up an ordinance today that would make it significantly easier for neighborhoods across the city to establish resident-only parking districts, a response to growing complaints about overflow parking as urban redevelopment accelerates. The proposal would create a formal petition and review process that allows neighborhoods to…
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As the 2026 hurricane season gets underway, Duke Energy is giving a look inside the nerve center it relies on to manage power outages across Florida. The company’s Distribution Control Center in St. Petersburg is where Duke Energy monitors the entire electric grid for the state. The room is organized by region, with staff dedicated…
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Tax collectors in the Tampa Bay area are calling on Florida’s highway safety agency to fix a troubled new computer system that has caused widespread delays and extended wait times at driver’s license and motor vehicle offices across the state. Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan said that when the Florida Highway Safety and Motor…
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A lawsuit filed by the Florida Education Association challenging the state’s school choice programs sparked competing press conferences Wednesday, as supporters and critics of Florida’s scholarship and charter school system squared off in St. Petersburg. The FEA’s suit challenges parts of the state’s education scholarship and charter school programs, calling for greater transparency and accountability…
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The City of Tampa is making significant progress toward its goal of creating 10,000 affordable housing opportunities, having reached approximately 8,300 units through new construction, preservation efforts, and related initiatives. Mayor Jane Castor highlighted the city’s multi-pronged strategy, which includes both building new units and preserving existing homes for longtime residents. “We’re not going to…
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Filming is underway for a holiday romance movie at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Pinellas County. Production on “Christmas in Clearwater,” from Country Mile Entertainment, entered its second week as of late May 2026. The film combines a romantic storyline with the aquarium’s mission of animal rescue, rehabilitation, and release, with a particular focus on…
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Dunedin city commissioners voted on May 19 to study implementing a fire services assessment as a possible replacement for property tax revenue that could be lost if state lawmakers eliminate or significantly reduce property taxes. City Manager Jennifer Bramley told commissioners the city stands to lose as much as $9 million under a bill that…
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Cross Bayou Elementary School held its final day of classes today, Thursday, May 28, 2026, and will close permanently after nearly 70 years of service in Pinellas County Schools. The school, which opened in 1958, wrapped up operations as students transitioned to nearby Pinellas Central and Bardmoor elementary schools. Its Deaf/Hard of Hearing program will…
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A shortage of apartment maintenance workers is leaving Tampa Bay residents waiting longer for repairs, and a local industry group is stepping in with a new free training program to help fill the gap. Rose Nurse, who leads the Bay Area Apartment Association — which represents more than 250,000 apartment homes in the Tampa Bay…
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Transportation leaders across the Tampa Bay region are narrowing down a list of transit projects they say could move from planning stages into development over the coming years. During a virtual session on Wednesday titled “From Vision to Action,” regional officials discussed potential transportation improvements aimed at reducing congestion and expanding transit options throughout the…
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Even as Pasco County continues to add tens of thousands of new homes, its public school district is losing students — a paradox that officials say demands careful planning before any major decisions are made. District enrollment dropped by 1,393 students during the current school year, while voucher participation grew by about 1,965 students, and…
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Tampa’s water department is ramping up enforcement patrols as the number of customers cited for breaking outdoor watering rules has climbed sharply compared to a year ago. City officials say more than 430 customers have received citations since the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s drought-related watering restrictions took effect — a figure nearly 30% higher…
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Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he is calling a special legislative session beginning June 1 to advance a property tax reform proposal that would appear on the November ballot as a constitutional amendment. The measure seeks to provide significant property tax relief for Floridians, with the governor stating it would eventually eliminate property taxes…
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Citrus County commissioners held a public hearing on Wednesday on a proposed temporary moratorium that would halt new zoning applications for artificial intelligence data centers in unincorporated parts of the county. County leaders said the pause would give them time to study the potential impacts of the facilities before approving any future projects. In recent…
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With hurricane season beginning Sunday, Longboat Key officials are urging residents and business owners to pick up new vehicle decals now, warning that last year’s decals will not be accepted at checkpoints this year. The decals are used to manage access to the barrier island in the aftermath of a storm, controlling when and in…
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Florida’s top-ranked public universities will receive no special state funding this year after legislative budget negotiators agreed to eliminate the preeminence program entirely from the upcoming spending plan. The Legislature concluded its budget talks late Sunday during a Special Session, called after lawmakers failed to pass a budget during the 60-day Regular Session. The Senate…
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St. Pete city commissioners are set to receive an update on Wednesday about a pilot project to replace aging seawalls near the Don CeSar Hotel with a nature-based alternative to reduce flooding in a low-lying residential neighborhood. The project would swap out deteriorating seawalls behind several homes with what are called “living seawalls” — a…
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Florida state lawmakers have tentatively reached a budget agreement that would transfer the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, a move that could significantly reshape higher education options in the region. The proposal, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis for the past two years, is included in the state budget and…
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SeaWorld has surpassed a significant conservation benchmark, rescuing a total of 43,000 injured, sick, or orphaned animals across its parks in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. The milestone was reached after SeaWorld Rescue in San Diego rescued six birds and a young, orphaned California sea lion pup in early May. The sea lion pup…
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The Florida legislator is set to vote today on a state budget after House and Senate leaders reached a tentative agreement earlier this week. The spending plan, which takes effect July 1, comes in at nearly $115 billion — less than the Senate’s preferred figure but more than the $113.6 billion the House had sought.…
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