The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Entertainment

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best entertainment-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Art Gallery, Best Community Theater, Best Event Venue etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Education

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best education-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Day Care, Best Tutoring Center etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Drinks

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best drinks-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Bar, Best Coffee Shop etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Beauty

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best beauty-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Nail Salon, Best Day Spa, Best Hair Stylist etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Animals

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best animals-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Dog Trainer, Best Vet, Best Dog-Friendly Bar etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

The Laker Readers’ Choice 2024 | Sports

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The Laker needs your help highlighting the best sports-related companies in the area, including those in categories of Best Gym, Best Dance Studio, Best Park etc.

Write the companies in the blanks provided that you believe are deserving of The Laker’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards. We recommend including a neighborhood or road for companies that have multiple locations.

New preschool opens in Land O’ Lakes

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The Harvester Sheffield Christian Preschool opened its doors on July 1 at 2432 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. 

Harvester Sheffield Christian Preschool is located in a wing of Harvester Community Church located at 2432 Collier Parkway. (Courtesy of Harvester Sheffield Christian Preschool)

The preschool is named after the late Beverly Sheffield who retired from the U.S. Air Force after serving for many years as a nurse. She’s also being honored for having been a longtime member of Harvester Community Church and for providing funds to help establish the preschool following her death.

Jamilet “Milly” Rodriguez is program director of Harvester Sheffield Christian Preschool which recently opened in Land O’ Lakes.

The new preschool occupies an entire wing of the church that has Russ McKee as its pastor.

Jamilet “Milly” Rodriguez is program director of the preschool that has students who are between two and five years old. 

Rodriguez earned director credentials from Brewster Technical College in Tampa and she also has a Child Development Associate credential from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAYEC), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.

There are currently two teachers at the preschool along with her as program director, Rodriguez said. Four students are currently enrolled there.  

Both of those numbers are anticipated to increase as more people become aware of the new preschool, Rodriguez said. The preschool will operate 12 months out of the year and will only be closed during holidays and in case of inclement weather.

Having a preschool there was a dream when the church first opened in December of 1995, McKee said. It took 29 years but that dream’s finally been realized according to Rodriguez and McKee.

Anyone desiring additional information about the preschool, including how much it will cost for a student to attend, can call Rodriguez at (813) 949-0096.

Published August 14, 2024

Report: property insurance rates have risen by 42.5% since 2019

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(The Center Square) — A new report shows that insurance rates for property owners in the Sunshine State have increased exponentially over the past few years.

Florida TaxWatch released an in-depth analysis of Florida’s property insurance market, examining underlying factors contributing to its instability and 42.5% rise since 2019. These include damages from hurricanes and litigation, which have put pressure on insurers and forced some to leave the state.

A boat and debris pile sit in front of a house in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers, Sept. 29, 2022.
(Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the report, Florida’s property insurance market is fragile and reliant on state-run insurers as a backstop for homeowners who have no other options. Despite being a last-resort insurer, the Florida Citizens Property Insurance Company insures at least 17% of the state’s property insurance market and is also the most expensive.

The report notes that the rising enrollment in Citizens is “alarming” because if funds are exhausted to pay claims, state law requires assessments to be levied, which can then be passed on to every policyholder, including private policyholders, homeowners, renters, automobile and pet insurance.

According to a 2021 report from Florida TaxWatch, approximately 70% of Floridians live in coastal counties and are at risk of chronic flood damage. The report points out that as sea levels rise, more properties are put at risk. This equates to around 64,000 homes, with an estimated value of $26 billion, at risk of severe flooding.

Florida TaxWatch estimates that by 2100, over 1 million homes will be at risk and this increased risk will, in turn, increase property insurance rates even further. Unless the insurance market is stabilized, the high rates could push some residents to leave Florida.

Florida outdoes every other state in insurance costs, accounting for 10.8% of all premium costs in the U.S. According to the report, premiums vary between counties, ranging from $1,824 in Sumter County to $8,162 in Monroe County.

Since 2019, the Legislature has passed a series of reforms in an effort to combat insurance fraud and ease the burden on insurers. The report notes that legislative efforts are beginning to show promise. However, it also advises that lawmakers remain vigilant to prevent the market from spiraling and work to enhance resiliency.

Florida TaxWatch recommends that Florida limit its reliance on Citizens by depopulating the number of policies it holds and encouraging new private insurance companies to enter the state.

Published August 14, 2024

Report: Florida spending additional $2B in new state budget

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(The Center Square) — The nonprofit group Florida TaxWatch released its annual Taxpayers Guide to Florida’s fiscal 2024-2025 state budget, which details the current outlay and provides past data to put it in a historical context.

According to the budget report, the Legislature has more than the $118.6 billion earmarked in the General Appropriations Act, with additional spending occurring in general bills that happens every year, according to Florida TaxWatch.

Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee (Eyecrave Productions/Getty)

What makes this year’s budget stand out, however, is the almost $2 billion in extra funding being spent above the state budget, an increase from the $1.4 billion in additional spending in fiscal 2023-2024’s budget.

A total of 122 new state employee positions have been created, part of the $2 billion outlay, with most funds coming from the General Revenue Fund. More than $800 million is recurring spending, including a $717 million health care bill and another $536 million on landmark environmental efforts.

Florida TaxWatch noted that including all of the extra spending pushes the fiscal 2024-25 budget to a total of $118.6 billion, even after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed almost $1 billion out of the budget.

Lawmakers using the appropriations act to get funds for the current year, is also commonplace. Florida TaxWatch points out that funds appropriated by lawmakers for fiscal 2023-24 are more than $3 billion, with $1.7 billion coming from the General Revenue Fund.

Over the past three years, the state budget has grown by 28.6%, the largest growth since between 2004 and 2007. This does not include the $26 billion the state received for federal pandemic relief funds.

While Florida TaxWatch praised DeSantis and lawmakers for largely spending taxpayer money responsibly, using funds to improve infrastructure, water quality, and affordable housing, they note that local member projects have ballooned to over $2.8 billion before vetoes. Another $500 million has been allocated to further pay down state debt.

The Sunshine State’s budget surplus is dwindling, falling to an expected $5.7 billion in unobligated general revenue funds, from the $21.3 billion estimated to remain at the end of fiscal 2022-23 and $8.7 billion left in fiscal 2023-24.

Florida TaxWatch further notes that unprecedented growth is not expected to continue in the future and recommends that lawmakers remain responsible with taxpayer money.

Published August 14, 2024

Florida follow-up audit finds discrepancies with economic incentive programs

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(The Center Square) — The Florida Auditor General recently published a follow-up audit of the Sunshine State’s economic incentives programs and found some uncorrected issues remain.

The Florida Department of Commerce assists the governor in working with the Legislature, state agencies, business leaders, and economic development professionals. For fiscal 2023-24, state lawmakers appropriated approximately $1.8 billion.

Together, they formulate plans to implement consistent policies and strategies that help promote economic opportunities for Floridians and serve as the state’s chief agency for business recruitment, expansion, and economic development. State law requires the department to contract an independent third party to verify that recipients comply with the terms set in their economic development incentive agreement.

(d3sign/Getty)

These independent contractors are required to have a level 2 background screening before they can access recipient information. Furthermore, state law requires all employees in positions of trust, responsibility, or sensitive location to undergo level 2 screenings before and during employment.

The auditor general found that the department had failed to evidence that all independent third-party contractors with access to confidential information had all had level 2 background screenings. This issue was found in a previous audit.

According to the audit report, the department had not yet addressed issues regarding access to the Salesforce web-based system, which is used to track the progress of economic development incentive applications and capture related data. The system was found to be available to some incentive recipients, third-party personnel, and division personnel up to 117 days after their employment or association with the department had ceased.

The auditor general recommended the department improve its controls over access to the system, to reduce the risk of unauthorized disclosure, modification, or destruction of department data and IT resources.

The report further noted issues around access controls to purchasing cards, stating that the department’s ex-employees had access to taxpayer dollars after they left their employment, in some instances up to 241 after.

Although there were no unauthorized purchases found, the auditor general recommended the department management work on promptly canceling the employees’ access upon termination.

A similar issue was found with FLAIR, which the department utilizes to authorize payments and record and report transactions. Ex-employees had access to FLAIR up to 450 days after they left department employment. The auditor general recommended that the department again promptly cut access once an employee is terminated.

Published August 14, 2024