About the Author: John Dunbar | Suncoast Searchlight
Manatee County underpaid EMS workers by at least $336,607
Manatee County underpaid emergency medical service workers by at least $336,607 over a recent nine-month period after its payroll system failed to properly calculate overtime, according to an audit obtained by Suncoast Searchlight. The [...]
Suncoast leaders see property tax cuts as a Tallahassee power grab
Local officials say an effort by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to cut property taxes could be a knockout punch amid efforts by the state to erode home rule, strip power away [...]
DeSantis tax plan could cost Suncoast counties $380 million in 2 years
Local government officials are pushing back on a plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate property taxes for many Floridians, saying the sweeping cuts would cripple basic services that range from classrooms to hospitals [...]
Benderson boathouse cast as storm shelter in $10 million state appropriation
Florida lawmakers are poised to steer $10 million toward a long-discussed boathouse project at Nathan Benderson Park after recently submitted appropriations requests pitched the facility as a regional storm shelter and emergency recovery hub. [...]
First round of Phillippi Creek dredging completed
Anxious residents who live near flood-prone Phillippi Creek can expect at least some relief this storm season now that the county has removed 60 tons of sediment from the creek bed. But there is [...]
Benderson Park boathouse advances despite scrutiny over size, funding gap
After more than a decade, Nathan Benderson Park is moving forward with plans for a long-discussed boathouse project, with construction bids already out and a contractor expected to be selected in June. What park [...]
Red tide turning point? New research, policy shifts offer hope
Nearly a decade ago, the worst red tide outbreak in a generation choked Sarasota Bay and much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, killing marine life by the thousands and sickening residents. From October 2017 through [...]
