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Local News in Review – February 2019

Here’s my latest review of news for Collier voters about our local elected officials and governing bodies.In a sentence: the Board of County Commissioners continued exploring development/redevelopment options for East Naples and the eastern county, amended the land development code to attract affordable housing, halted new median landscaping due to budget constraints, and began discussing a possible … Continue reading Local News in Review – February 2019 →

State News in Review – February 2019

In the past month, our Florida government began gearing up in earnest for the 60-day Legislative Session that begins next week. Gov. Ron DeSantis issued his first budget proposal, announced an executive order to implement school security measures, and made clear his support for alternatives to traditional public schools, among other noteworthy actions ... Cabinet members … Continue reading State News in Review – February 2019 →

Local News in Review – January 2019

Here’s my latest review of news for Collier voters about our local elected officials and governing bodies.In a sentence: Commissioners elected Bill McDaniel as Chairman and named members of the Sales Surtax Citizen Oversight Committee; growth, development and redevelopment activity continued; Naples Councilwoman Linda Penniman resigned due to concerns over her husband’s health and a special … Continue reading Local News in Review – January 2019 →

State News in Review – January 2019

In the weeks since their swearing-in ceremonies, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Commissioner of Agriculture (COA) Nikki Fried, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General (AG) Ashley Moody announced some pretty dramatic initial initiatives — DeSantis in particular.And from Washington, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and newly-elected Rick Scott, and re-elected U.S. Reps. Francis Rooney and … Continue reading State News in Review – January 2019 →

Local News in Review – December 2018

In December, Collier County began planning to implement the one percent sales surtax voters approved in November, both the County Commission and Naples City Council weighed in on the community’s challenge to NCH’s new admissions policy, and the Collier School District’s high school graduation rate rose to 92 percent, ranking it eighth in the state. … Continue reading Local News in Review – December 2018 →

State News in Review – December 2018

News in the weeks since the November elections has been filled with stories related to the transition. While Collier’s legislative delegation is largely unchanged, the new Governor, Cabinet members, and House and Senate leaders have new priorities. The news highlighted in this post provides a good indication of what to expect in the Legislative Session … Continue reading State News in Review – December 2018 →

State News in Review – November 2018

With the elections behind us, the transfer of power has begun. In this post, I’ll start with some transition-related news, then turn to the ongoing business of government.Long-time readers may notice a few changes in this month’s State News in Review, and I plan to continue them going forward. I now include in the post:News about … Continue reading State News in Review – November 2018 →

Recap and reflections on the November elections

Once again, Florida’s elections made national news. I assume you've seen the results (click here for the state’s and here for Collier County’s), so in this post, I’ll dive a little deeper. First, I’ll share my thoughts about their implications for public policy and for the people of Florida. Then I’ll briefly comment on the … Continue reading Recap and reflections on the November elections →