Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia is officially running for a full term after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the former lawmaker announced Tuesday.
And the timing likely could not be better.
While some may scoff, his aggressive efforts through Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency, dubbed DOGE to mimic the federal effort led by tech tycoon Elon Musk, have been overwhelmingly successful, in a way that will likely benefit Floridians regardless of their political bent.
The efforts haven’t just been another layer of government bureaucracy through which local leaders must navigate. Instead, they’ve produced real results in terms of tax savings for residents and trimming fat in city and county budgets.
The examples are abundant.
In Plantation, Mayor Nick Sortal — a Republican-turned-Democrat — has proposed the city’s first property tax cut in seven years, with the goal of providing financial relief to residents while also maintaining city services. If approved, his proposed cut from a 5.8 millage rate to 5.7 would establish the lowest property tax rate in the city since 2014.
While not directly related to DOGE, the proposed reduction is a response from Sortal in alignment with both DeSantis’ push to eliminate property taxes and Ingoglia’s argument that by cutting wasteful spending, cities will be more equipped to implement tax cuts.
Jacksonville officials, including a majority of its City Council, are supporting a property tax cut that would be its first since 2022.
Read more on Florida Politics.
Evening Reads
—”Donald Trump declares D.C. a ‘crime-free zone’ despite 442 crimes reported in past week” via Emily Zemler of Rolling Stone
—“Congress to tackle Jeffrey Epstein files controversy as it returns from recess” via Kadia Goba of The Washington Post
—”Are America’s four main adversaries really in cahoots?” via Joshua Keating of Vox
—”The anti-Trump strategy that’s actually working” via Michael Scherer of The Atlantic
—”Are Democrats *finally* starting to get it?” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—”Gov. Ron DeSantis promises feds will cover Alligator Alcatraz expenses, even as facility’s future is in doubt” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”Nonprofit tied to Florida’s Lt. Gov. won state contracts during his Senate stint” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel
—”Federal funding loss closed Florida’s only drop-in center for the homeless” via Teghan Simonton of the Tampa Bay Times
—”Workers comp rates in Florida expected to decrease in 2026” via Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix
—”Sobering trend: Floridians are cutting back on alcohol as health-concerned drinkers seek alternatives” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—“How pickleball took over thousands of tennis courts, as seen from the sky” via Ethan Singer of The New York Times
Quote of the Day
“… we want companies to thrive, but companies must also be worthy of doing business in our state.”
— Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky, issuing fines against eight insurance carriers for ‘misconduct’ following recent hurricanes.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
Floridians taking a break from booze would enjoy a Sunrise Mocktail while they hang around with lushes like us.
Order a Reality Check for the guy across the bar spreading rumors about a Tampa City Council candidate being deported.
Send a copy of Behind Bars: High Class Cocktails Inspired by Low Life Gangsters to the nearest prison … the SAFE program’s 2,100 arrestees could use some reading material.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Marlins clinging to hope in season’s final month
With 24 games remaining in the regular season, the Miami Marlins continue a three-game series in Washington against the Nationals tonight (6:45 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Net Florida).
Miami dropped the first game of the series yesterday to the Nationals 2-0 as Washington rookie Andrew Alvarez won in his major league debut. It was the first win in nine games for the Nationals and set back Miami’s slim playoff hopes.
Miami begins today nine games out of the final wild card spot in the National League. There are four teams ahead of the Marlins in the wild card race that Miami would have to leapfrog to earn the final postseason spot. It’s a long shot, to say the least. It has happened before, including in 2011 when the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a 9.5 game deficit at the start of September to make the playoffs on the final day of the season.
Tonight, Miami sends Adam Mazur to the mound for his third start of the season. He has bounced back and forth between Triple-A Jacksonville and the big leagues over the past 14 months. The 24-year-old made his 2025 Marlins’ debut in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in June, then returned to the big club for a 7-4 win over the New York Mets on Thursday. Mazur has allowed nine hits and five walks while striking out seven in 9.2 innings of work in the majors this season.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
