Education · Broward County
School districts in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties are urging voters to approve a one-mill property tax renewal on the Nov. 3 ballot, warning that rejection would eliminate hundreds of millions in funding for teacher pay, school safety personnel, and mental health services. District leaders fear voter confusion with Amendment 3, a separate measure that would reduce property taxes used for public services. Miami-Dade officials estimate a $500 million loss could drop teacher salaries from $73,030 to $57,814; Broward faces a roughly $358 million annual shortfall affecting about 13,400 teachers receiving supplements; Palm Beach warns approximately 900 choice-program teachers would lose jobs and pay would fall $8,000 annually. The one-mill levy costs homeowners about $418 per year in Broward County. State law requires these referendums every four years, with the current authorization running through mid-2031.
Local Politics · Broward County
Broward County commissioners voted 7-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to authorize county attorneys to pursue legal action after Sheriff Gregory Tony's deputies denied Mayor Mark Bogen access to the $73.7 million Research, Development and Training Center completed in July 2024. The dispute is part of a broader standoff over a proposed $870 million budget for the Broward County Sheriff's Office, during which Tony suspended negotiations and stopped attending commission meetings citing a Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution investigation into commissioners that became public in September. Commissioners had commissioned studies examining whether BSO should continue providing law enforcement services at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, prompting subpoenas to all nine commissioners. Tony responded by calling on all 67 Florida sheriffs to defend against potential lawsuits challenging his office's authority.
Community News · Broward County
Florida leads the nation in Medicare Advantage plan discontinuations for 2027, with about 81,000 enrollees across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties affected by plans ending or merging. In Broward County, available plans drop from 119 to 106, while Palm Beach County falls from 121 to 111; Aetna PPO plans are being terminated in Palm Beach County, and HealthSpring is exiting all three South Florida counties entirely. Enrollees whose plans end must select a replacement by Dec. 31 or automatically fall into Original Medicare without prescription drug coverage or a Medigap supplement. Insurers including Humana and UnitedHealthcare are shifting from PPOs to HMOs, trimming supplemental benefits like dental, vision and gym memberships, while Special Needs Plans grow to about two-thirds of Florida offerings.
Local Politics · Broward County
The Broward Teachers Union plans to file a lawsuit against school board chair Sarah Leonardi, alleging her removal of BTU President Anna Fusco from Tuesday's meeting violated First Amendment rights. The incident occurred during a session where the board voted 6-3 to fire procurement director Jennifer Andreu after the Broward County Inspector General's Office found she mismanaged a contract and misled the board. Andreu also serves on the Plantation City Council. Fusco contends proper procedure was not followed in Andreu's termination and frames the lawsuit as protecting union contract rights for all district employees.
Local Business · Broward County
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County's economic development arm, announced at its annual meeting that the 2025-2026 fiscal year generated more than $318.5 million in new capital investment and 1,116 jobs across aviation maintenance, medical/pharmaceutical manufacturing, global logistics, and technology. The Alliance also secured a $125,000 state grant to help Broward maritime firms enter the defense market by building unmanned and autonomous vessels for the U.S. Navy. Alliance President and CEO Bob Swindell, 65, announced his retirement next year after more than two decades leading the agency; a national search for his replacement is pending.
