State House eats up local property taxes

moneyThe South Florida Sun Sentinel has an article on how state laws impact local tax dollars – outside the power of the local commissioners. The best example is the police and fire pension plan.

While some state legislators rip Florida’s cities for runaway spending, those in Tallahassee continue to file bills to boost retirement benefits for police and fire employees — a growing tab picked up by city taxpayers.

Local officials cite employee benefits — especially police and fire retirement plans, which are the richest because of the dangers of the jobs — as one of the biggest strains on property taxes.

Read the article: Florida taxpayers billed for rising city pensions.

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Author: Rick Outzen

Rick Outzen is the publisher/owner of Pensacola Inweekly. He has been profiled in The New York Times and featured in several True Crime documentaries. Rick also is the author of the award-winning Walker Holmes thrillers. His latest nonfiction book is “Right Idea, Right Time: The Fight for Pensacola’s Maritime Park.”