Thursday’s Daily Pulse

DeSantis willing to call special session over property taxes

Gov. Ron DeSantis is threatening to put lawmakers on the spot about property taxes during the heat of their reelection campaigns. The governor’s office is researching how the tax can be eliminated, in what he says is possibly the only state in the nation that could eliminate such a tax. In August, he said the structure of the state’s economy, enhanced by tourism, gives Florida the edge most states don’t. [Source: Florida Phoenix]

How the government shutdown is affecting Florida

Fortunately for Floridians, most government services they use on a daily basis are provided by either state or local governments and won’t be impacted. Trash collection, water services, building permitting, zoning, driver’s licenses and other services frequented are run by either cities or counties, which are not affected by the shutdown. Electric services throughout the state are either run municipally or through private contracts with companies such as Duke Energy, Florida Power & Light or TECO. But some services could still be impacted. More from Florida Politics and the Tampa Bay Times.

See also:
» How the government shutdown affects Florida national parks

Florida under new tropical threat while NHC tracks 2 systems plus Hurricane Imelda

The National Hurricane Center on Thursday began tracking a new potential tropical system targeting Florida, one of two systems with the potential to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm. Hurricane Imelda, meanwhile, moved away from Bermuda after passing over the island territory with 100 mph winds overnight. As of the NHC’s 2 a.m. tropical outlook, forecasters said a low-pressure area is set to form in the southwestern Atlantic waters between the northwestern Bahamas and South Florida’s east coast. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Are Florida's new golf communities an improvement over their predecessors?

Thanks to the post-pandemic surge, real estate golf is booming again in Florida. Significant development of golf courses tied to master-planned residential communities ground to a halt in the wake of the late-2000s recession, but has picked up again as golf has gained in popularity throughout the 2020s so far, especially in the Sunshine State, where more than a dozen new golf courses have opened alongside real estate components in the last few years. [Source: Golf Pass]

Florida to manage red snapper fishing in Atlantic Ocean instead of federal government

Florida will take over the federal government's role in managing the recreational red snapper fishery in the Atlantic Ocean's federal and state waters — conditionally by next year and permanently by 2028, officials say. Anglers hope that will increase the number of fishing days, as it did after the state took over on the west coast. This year, there were two fishing days in the Atlantic and 126 in the Gulf of Mexico. [Source: TC Palm]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Port Canaveral preps for more rocket recoveries with 3rd crane [Orlando Sentinel]
Port Canaveral has had such a busy year supporting SpaceX’s rocket recovery efforts, it brought in a new crane to assist in the launch parade on the Space Coast. The third crane has modified counterweights that would allow the lift of a taller, heavier booster, which would have worked for Relativity’s Terran R based off earlier specifications, but those have since changed, according to port officials.

› Spirit on track to receive $475 million from creditors to help airline fly through bankruptcy [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Spirit Airlines’ parent company Tuesday announced a series of deals with top creditors that would funnel up to $475 million in critical cash to the troubled discount carrier as it reorganizes for a second time under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The company said the “debtor-in-possession” financing is coming from existing bondholders.

› Years in the making, Hilton Jacksonville at Mayo Clinic opens [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The Hilton Jacksonville at Mayo Clinic opened with a two-day celebration, including a party on Sept. 30 and a ribbon cutting on Oct. 1. The event marked the conclusion of a project that began in 2019 and faced the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, fluctuating construction costs and high interest rates. When the project was announced in September 2021, the projected cost was $70 million.

› Gopher tortoise relocations grow with Southwest Florida boom [Gulfshore Business]
Southwest Florida’s warp-speed development of expanding roads, home communities, retail centers and commercial parks creates thousands of jobs. Planners, architects, landscapers, bricklayers, carpenters and roofers are among the most obvious; people who relocate and maintain gopher tortoise habitat aren’t on that list. But there’s money to be made, even if it’s not a get-rich-quick proposition.

More stories ...

› Art museum mega-billboard will stay, Miami will be paid [Miami Today]
A settlement has been approved allowing the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s (PAMM) 10-story LED billboard to remain operating in downtown under new restrictions on its hours and brightness, with the city receiving $500,000 annually plus a 2% yearly increase. Miami city commissioners voted 4-1 Sept. 25, ending a year-long legal dispute between the city and PAMM over the billboard’s future.

› Historic sports facility with MLB ties up for grabs in Florida [Orlando Business Journal]
A well-known youth sports complex in Brevard County — formerly the Cocoa Expo Sports Center — is now for sale, presenting a rare investment opportunity in Florida’s Space Coast region. The 47.88-acre property at 500 Friday Road was once the spring training home for the Houston Astros (1964-1985) and the Florida Marlins (1993). More recently, it has operated as Launch Pad Sports Complex and Coastal Florida Sports Park.

› Carnival announces more cruise ship deployments from Florida for 2027-2028 [Cruise Fever]
Carnival Cruise Line continues to release new cruises for 2027-2028 and today the cruise giant announced where three ships will be sailing to and from in Florida. Carnival Cruise Line is moving Carnival Venezia to the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami, for six- to eight-day cruises to the Caribbean. In addition, Carnival Magic and Carnival Vista will offer expanded options.

› Florida Blue, BayCare reach agreement, ensuring in-network coverage for most members [WUSF]
Florida Blue and BayCare on Wednesday said a new multiyear agreement ensures that most patients can continue accessing the health system's hospitals, specialty physicians and services without disruption. The deal encompasses all 16 BayCare hospitals, its extensive ambulatory network, and BayCare Medical Group, the Tampa Bay area's largest multispecialty physician group.