Most voters want property taxes cut or eliminated — and they know it’ll hurt services
Most Florida voters want state lawmakers to slash or end property taxes, despite the impact on local services. Voters are well aware it’ll hurt the services localities provide, from garbage pickup and libraries to parks and recreation, among others. And most aren’t willing to pay a separate fee to continue funding those provisions. More from Florida Politics.
New site taking shape as 'miniature city' in northeast Tallahassee
A new $250 million master-planned community called Bradford Hills is under construction in northeast Tallahassee. The 155-acre mixed-use development will include apartments, single-family homes, restaurants, and medical offices. Some residents have raised concerns about increased traffic and the environmental impact of clear-cutting trees for the project. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.
Osceola County seeks developer for 25-acre site to lure high-wage employers, create jobs
Osceola County is opening the door to new economic opportunities by making 25 acres of land available for development — a move aimed at attracting an industry headquarters and creating dozens of high-paying jobs. Osceola has a goal to draw an "industry headquarters or operational hub which includes at least 50 high-wage jobs," that would have an average wage of at least $56,516. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Major Sarasota real estate firm to expand to downtown St. Pete
Michael Saunders & Company will open a new 3,000 square foot office at 400 Central Avenue, marking a significant expansion for the longtime Gulf Coast real estate firm and adding momentum to one of downtown St. Petersburg’s most-watched developments. The announcement comes as The Residences at 400 Central prepares to welcome its first residents this month. Developer John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of Red Apple Group, said the firm has played a key role in the tower’s early success. More from Tampa Bay Business & Wealath.
FIU helps small business owners harness the potential of AI
Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at FIU teamed up with OpenAI recently to host a hands-on workshop in Wynwood to help 200+ small business leaders learn practical ways to use ChatGPT and related tools in their day-to-day work, from writing marketing copy and organizing schedules to handling customer messages and bookkeeping. More from Miami's Community News.
Business Profile
Fast payroll across borders? Ontop thinks it shouldn’t be rare
Julián Torres still laughs about the first time he watched a cross-border payment crawl from the United States to Argentina. The money moved at the speed of a glacier. Six days if you were lucky, 20 days if you weren’t. That delay stuck with him. It made no sense to him that remote work had gone global but the money flowed like the dial-up era. That irritation helped fuel Ontop, the Miami company Torres co-founded to fix the messy, scattered process of hiring and paying teams across borders.
» More from Refresh Miami.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Welding a dream
Like a lot of teenagers, Kaleb Diaz had no plan for life after high school. He had a job stocking produce at Publix, figured he’d save up to buy a car and “be very irresponsible with my money.” Less than two years after graduating from St. Cloud High School, Diaz, 20, now works as a welder for a company called Met-Con, prefabricating beams for construction sites. It’s thanks to a certification he earned tuition-free at Valencia College under the county-funded Osceola Prosper program.
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