Florida’s local governments raise concerns about property tax cuts
Local-government officials Tuesday offered some pushback against state efforts to cut property taxes and question city and county spending. With a Florida House panel finishing a two-day review of property-tax issues, city and county officials defended their financial management amid Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to ask voters next year to slash taxes on homesteaded properties. Casey Cook, chief of legislative affairs for the Florida League of Cities, called local governments “the most transparent forms of government in the state,” as municipal officials hear daily from neighbors expecting higher levels of service than what is provided in unincorporated areas. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida’s jobless rate jumps for the first time since April
For the first time in five months, Florida’s unemployment rate has increased. The jobless figure came in at 3.8% in August. That’s up from a 3.7% rate that had held steady since April, according to FloridaCommerce, the state’s economic development bureau. All large metropolitan areas in the state witnessed a rise in the unemployment figure last month. [Source: Florida Politics]
More than 160,000 apply for Florida's first bear hunt in a decade
Florida's first bear hunt in a decade drew more than 160,000 applicants for a far more limited number of permits, including from opponents who are trying to reduce the number of bears killed. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will award 172 bear hunt permits by random lottery for the December hunt, down slightly from the 187 permits initially proposed. The permit allows a hunter to kill one bear in areas where the bear population is deemed large enough. [Source: AP News]
Banks see opportunity in South Florida manufacturing sector as interest rates drop
South Florida manufacturers may find relief from the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut as they face higher import costs driven by tariffs and global supply chain pressures. That's because lower interest rates reduce the cost of borrowing, which helps manufacturers finance working capital, equipment or raw material purchases at a cheaper rate. Brian Hagan, Florida market president at Chicago-based First American Bank, expects loan demand from manufacturers to stay steady or rise as rate cuts ease financial conditions, but added that growth depends on broader economic confidence. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]
FWC launches pilot program to preserve panther habitat
A new program from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is incentivizing private landowners to help in the fight to preserve critical Florida panther habitat. The FWC announced in mid-September that it has completed its first enrollment period for the Florida Panther Payment for Ecosystem Services pilot program, which offers private landowners in qualifying areas per-acre payments for providing habitat conditions that support panther conservation and landscape connectivity. [Source: Gulfshore Business]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› St. Pete’s Neptune Insurance eyes Wall Street debut
Neptune Insurance Holdings, the parent company of Neptune Flood, has filed for an initial public offering with plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NP. Founded in 2018, Neptune Flood markets itself as a data-driven managing general agent providing residential and commercial flood coverage, nationwide. The company uses artificial intelligence to streamline underwriting, pricing and policy issuance, operating without traditional human underwriters.
› Spirit Airlines to furlough 1,800 flight attendants amid second bankruptcy
Spirit Airlines plans to furlough 1,800 flight attendants before the end of the year, the cash-strapped budget carrier said Monday. The company said it made the "difficult decision" to put cabin crew members on temporary leave to match staffing needs with expected flight demand during Spirit's second bankruptcy in a year.
› Dr. Phillips Charities to buy historic Hungerford property in Eatonville
In a landmark deal that bids to resolve a long-running dispute, the Orange County School Board and Town of Eatonville have agreed to sell the Hungerford property to Dr. Phillips Charities as part of an ambitious effort to revitalize the historic enclave. The property spans 117 acres across two parcels and serves as a gateway into the town that was founded during Reconstruction by freed slaves and is recognized as the first self-governing, all-Black municipality in the United States.
› Titusville, Cape Canaveral officials voice concerns about SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy to FAA
Add Titusville and Cape Canaveral city officials to the list of entities and residents concerned about possible negative impacts from future SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy mega-scale launches and landings on Florida's Space Coast. SpaceX seeks Federal Aviation Administration environmental and licensing approvals to start launching up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy rocket-booster tandems per year from pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
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› Luxury music festival coming to the downtown West Palm waterfront
An upscale electronic music festival is coming to West Palm Beach’s downtown waterfront in February, led by a prominent DJ working with the city’s biggest developer to capitalize on what they called the city’s “cultural renaissance.” The city will be the latest location for the Palm Tree Music Festival, a rotating event that has featured in such wealthy locales as Aspen, Colorado; Saint-Tropez, France; and The Hamptons in New York.
› Mars-bound satellites arrive at KSC ahead of Blue Origin launch
A pair of Mars-bound satellites are back at Kennedy Space Center a year after NASA bowed out of its chance to be part of the debut launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn. The satellites for the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission, constructed by Rocket Lab, look to fly on what would be New Glenn’s second ever mission.
› Downtown Sarasota to get Bentley franchise in 2026
Downtown Sarasota is about to get fancier: a Bentley franchise is opening on State Street in January 2026. Bentley Sarasota will be located where a high-end auto dealership called The Sarasota Studio has been operating since 2015, selling vehicles from McLarens to Rolls-Royces. The Sarasota Studio is operated by Tampa Bay car sales powerhouse Dimmitt Automotive Group.
› City of Jacksonville approves building permit for $27 million Mormon temple
The city issued a building permit Sept. 22 for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build a temple in Mandarin at a project cost of $27 million. Parkway C&A LLC is the contractor for the project on a 6.6-acre site at 3325 Loretto Road. Plans call for a single-story temple of about 29,000 square feet.