Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 22, 2017

While it won’t go into effect for another year and a half, the expected passage of a Florida constitutional amendment expanding the homestead exemption is already giving local officials severe headaches. On the 2018 ballot, Amendment 1 asks voters to approve an expansion of the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $75,000 of the first $100,000 […]

Mitch PerryJune 20, 2017

Being part of a legislative caucus with little political power has been the plight of Democrats elected to the Florida House for going on two decades, but state Representative Sean Shaw told a town hall audience of about 40 people Monday night that it’s their job to hold him accountable in Tallahassee, regardless of his […]

Mitch PerryDecember 1, 2016

The White House announced on Thursday that the Tampa Bay area has become one of 20 of the latest communities (and four in Florida) named to participate in its “TechHire” initiative that aims to equip Americans with the skills they need to land jobs in the tech industry. The announcement was made via the White House at 11 […]

Mitch PerryJune 14, 2016

The dominant word at a vigil held in Ybor City on Monday night to honor the victims of the shooting massacre in Orlando was “love.” A crowd of at least 2,000 people gathered for two hours in a parking lot on the north side of 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th streets to hear locally elected […]

Anne LindbergMay 10, 2016

Transportation has been a major issue in Tampa Bay for 50 years, and there’s no solution in sight because of a governance model that has “paralyzed” officials, Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long said Tuesday. Long called for commissioners to hold a workshop to “talk about how we can change this governance model that has paralyzed […]

Mitch PerryMay 3, 2016

Well today’s the Indiana primary, and aren’t you all excited about that? I didn’t think so. A CNN/ORC poll released yesterday shows more than eight of 10 Americans believe Hillary Clinton will challenge Donald Trump for president in November. That was taken before Indiana votes today … or Nebraska next week … or California and New Jersey […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 22, 2015

Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill is calling on Sheriff David Gee to investigate the contract awarded to Parsons Brinckerhoff for the public outreach effort for a proposed transportation sales tax. He’s also calling on PB to stop all work on the Go Hillsborough campaign, until Gee’s inquiry is complete. That second action sounds more dramatic than it […]

Mitch PerryAugust 20, 2015

The news that the Go Hillsborough campaign has re-introduced the prospect of the Hillsborough transportation tax going from a half-cent to a full penny apparently alienated a few county commissioners who didn’t get a heads-up that County Administrator Mike Merrill was about to do that Monday. Now that they’ve got that out of their system, […]

Mitch PerryAugust 19, 2015

(Update: Jeff Brandes & Uber respond). This past week St. Petersburg-based state Sen. Jeff Brandes said that he intends to once again introduce legislation in next year’s Regular Session to reform the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. Brandes, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, was reacting to the news that the PTC, which regulates commercial vehicle […]

Mitch PerryAugust 18, 2015

Four years ago, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was considered a strong challenger to Mitt Romney for the GOP presidential nomination. Then the Iowa Straw Poll happened. Pawlenty fared poorly, and on August 11, 2011, he was stunningly out of the race. Flash forward four years later: Is Scott Walker this year’s version of Tim Pawlenty? Walker has […]

Tag: Mike Merrill

Tampa local officials bemoan expected expansion of Florida homestead exemption

Sean Shaw to town hall audience: ‘Hold me accountable’

Tampa and 3 other Florida areas selected by the White House as “Tech Hire” Communities

Thousands crowd into Ybor City to remember the Orlando victims

Janet Long calls for changes in transportation governance

Mitch Perry Report for 5.3.16 – Only six more months of hearing about Hillary vs.The Donald – every day

Mitch Perry Report for 9.22.15 – Hillsborough County transportation tax now DOA?

Mitch Perry Report for 8.20.15 — The 1% solution for a Hillsborough County transportation tax

Hillsborough County to study costs if PTC is eliminated

Mitch Perry Report for 8.18.15 – It’s not going as planned for Scott Walker