Oviedo business owners say the city is hiding the true cost of doing business - hitting them with massive, unexpected charges only after hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent.
City leaders in Ocoee are warning that a proposed amendment aimed at lowering property taxes for Florida homeowners could significantly reduce local government revenue and lead to difficult budget decisions affecting public services.
The attorney general took aim at the HOA last month over a new rule he said violated residents' rights. On Wednesday, he announced that the group had finally agreed to stop enforcing that rule.
A decision to move forward with a development along Marsh Road in Winter Garden is frustrating residents concerned the road cannot handle the influx of new residents. At a meeting, city leaders acknowledged there was an issue, but said developers cannot be required to fix pre-existing road issues.
The House for the first time has approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran.
The Florida House and Senate passed a tweaked version of a major proposal to cut local property taxes on Tuesday. The bill increases the current $50,000 exemption on homestead property taxes to $150,000 for 2027, and to $250,000 in 2028. The exemption will not apply to school district taxes.
You buy a home in Florida that you saw online. The site says estimated property taxes are around $4,000. But when you get your first property tax bill, the cost may be thousands of dollars more. Why? Because the sites don't factor in Florida's Save Our Homes benefit, which doesn't stay when the home is sold, according to Orange County's property appraiser.
The Seminole County Property Appraiser estimates that the governor’s property tax proposal would result in a reduction of $409 million in tax revenue for the county.
Florida is accusing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of harmful and deceptive practices in a first-in-the-nation lawsuit against the maker of ChatGPT. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit on Monday.
A provision tucked into the state budget would direct the Department of Children and Families to competitively procure a vendor capable of using machine learning to analyze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, eligibility determinations.
Lawmakers will stay in Tallahassee a little longer after Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session to pass a property tax amendment for the November ballot. The session is expected to start on Monday.
Florida’s newly drawn congressional districts will remain intact, a Tallahassee judge ruled Tuesday. Judge Joshua Hawkes of the Leon Circuit Court rejected the push from two voting rights organizations and a group of voters to strike down the map drawn up by an aide for Gov. Ron DeSantis and passed by the GOP-led Legislature.
After News 6 posted on Facebook about CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s visit, many viewers expressed a similar sentiment: “What about Alligator Alcatraz?”
The Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona hosted a remembrance ceremony Friday morning honoring men and women who died in military service, while also connecting veterans with local support services.
On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to social media to once again broach a pair of issues that he argues can potentially fix issues in the U.S. Congress.
The Kissimmee City Commission voted to pause its ethics complaint process while drafting a new ordinance, delaying new complaints against the mayor and a commissioner as existing investigations continue.
Florida lawmakers earn less than $30,000 a year in salary. In 2024, 82 of the 160 lawmakers had a reported net worth of over a million dollars. Find out how much your state representative and state senator are worth.
On Monday, Port Canaveral received a $20 million US Department of Transportation grant to expand capacity at two of its busiest docks that take in hundreds of millions of dollars a year in refined petroleum, keeping fuel moving into Florida.
A council meant to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency proposed Thursday a series of long-awaited changes to the disaster recovery body that stop short of the administration’s promises to dismantle it, but could reduce the number of disasters the federal government supports and the amount of money it doles out.
A major project to raise a flood-prone Deltona road is moving closer to reality. The Deltona City Commission is set to vote on approving engineering, design and permitting work to elevate Elkcam Boulevard, a thoroughfare that residents say floods during even minor storms — and becomes impassable for weeks, sometimes months, after major ones.
A lack of space in state-run mental health facilities and growing waitlists point to a system balancing legal standards, medical opinions, and limited resources—often under intense pressure.
More than one month after ending the regular session without passing a budget, legislative leaders said Thursday they have a deal on top-line spending levels and plans for a May special session to pass the bill that funds the Florida government.
On Wednesday, DeSantis said that "White males" have been the No. 1 "disfavored group" of DEI initiatives after he signed a ban on local governments from implementing such policies.
Orange County Commissioners will likely face renewed pressure from opponents on Tuesday over the county’s agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The new crackdown comes thanks to a new pilot program, which allows states to block the purchases of certain goods under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
How should Brevard County pay for lifeguards on every beach? The recent drowning of two people in Cocoa Beach is sparking a conversation, and pushback from one city mayor who says lifeguards can't be funded everywhere, and the Tourist Development Council needs to be involved in the conversation.
After two drownings this week, a Brevard commissioner says he’d be willing to raise taxes to put lifeguards on every beach in the county. The reality on most of the Brevard County coastline is there aren’t lifeguards to save someone in an emergency.
Daytona Beach city commissioners are set to vote Wednesday night on a more than $1 million contract to repair sidewalks in a newly built neighborhood where residents say dozens of people have fallen.
Gov. Ron DeSantis could push back the special session on congressional redistricting, he said Tuesday. DeSantis originally called the session to produce new maps for the U.S. House in an unusual mid-decade redistricting in January and it’s scheduled to start Monday.
Smoking in Seminole County parks could soon be prohibited as county leaders prepare to vote on a proposed ban. The Seminole County Board of Commissioners is expected to take up the measure on Monday, April 13. If approved, the ordinance would ban smoking at all county-owned parks.
Florida stepped in last week to help manage the distressed finances of two rural school districts, and that could be just an inkling of what’s to come for school districts across the state, state leaders say, as enrollment continues to decline.
During a bill signing on Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on state lawmakers to ban cousins from getting married in Florida.
The NFL says it will keep the Rooney Rule, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier calls it illegal under state law and threatens a lawsuit if the league doesn’t change it by May 1.
A new animal shelter in Orange County is officially underway. The shelter, which will cost $49 million, will be the largest in Florida at 123,419 square feet, and will have a much larger medical suite to help increase capacity for medical needs such as spay and neuter services.
The bill requires verification of U.S. citizenship during voter registration, mandates paper ballots for all elections and requires congressional candidates to disclose stock trading activity while in office.
An internal audit of the Daytona Beach Fire Department is raising serious questions about more than $500,000 in spending — and a city commissioner says what’s in the report is “extremely concerning.”
After city leaders in Sanford scrapped a major development in the downtown area, commissioners are once again discussing what could happen to the properties where the Heritage Park project was once planned.
A proposal from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate the Transportation Security Administration drew mixed reactions from travelers, aviation experts and lawmakers, according to our sister station WJXT in Jacksonville.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, Florida's attorney general announced that his office will no longer enforce over 80 state laws.
Gov. Ron DeSantis rebuked some of Florida’s top law enforcement officials Thursday, criticizing their calls to Congress and President Donald Trump to work on a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants.
Brevard County has been looking for solutions to those so-called forever chemicals that are linked to all kinds of health problems, including cancer. County commissioners on Tuesday voted to spend $5 million to buy land next to a current water plant north of Micco Road in order to build new water and wastewater treatment facilities.
The city of Oviedo raised their stormwater rate last year and promised to start tackling a list of infrastructure improvements. Our News 6 team followed up this week to see how that money is being used now.
A group of sheriffs on a state immigration enforcement board sharply criticized the federal government’s mass deportation efforts Monday, a stark departure from hardline policies in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has spearheaded collaboration with federal officials to remove all undocumented immigrants.
A bill that would have stopped Florida from selling certain driver information to third-party companies has died in the House.
Water bead toys now have new safety rules set by the federal government. The CPSC says that from 2017 to 2022, there were an estimated 6,300 water bead-related ingestion injuries. At least one child, a 10-month-old girl, died in 2023.
In a rare bipartisan effort for a deeply divided Congress, the Senate has passed a broad bill to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable.
The Florida House on Wednesday approved the bill (SB 484) that aims to put restrictions on the growth of massive data centers that power the rapidly developing AI technology, and their effects on regional electric and water resources.
Florida lawmakers are bringing the anti-DEI crusade to local governments with a bill headed to Gov. DeSantis that bans cities and counties from funding or supporting diversity programs or events, and gives the governor the power to remove officials who violate the law.
Orange County commissioners officially approved a resolution that opposes the establishment of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the county. During a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, commissioners unanimously approved the resolution as a part of their consent agenda.
Osceola County School District is considering hiring a third-party consultant to persuade families to return students to district schools, a step that could cost $935 for each student who re-enrolls.
Some much-needed improvements could soon be underway for Sanford’s troubled wastewater treatment facility. At a meeting on Monday, commissioners will vote on funding to harden infrastructure against future hurricanes.
Neighbors in Sanford are pushing back against a proposal to build a gas station and convenience store near their homes. Plans submitted to the city of Sanford show where a 7-Eleven would be built near E. Lake Mary Boulevard and Skyway Drive.
A vacant lot on Goldenrod Road could soon become the site of a new homeless shelter in Orange County. The county is considering a plan to build a 150-bed, full-service facility, but some neighbors say they have questions about security and how the program would work.
The Brevard County high school teacher who was essentially fired by the district because she used a student’s preferred name without parental permission won an arbitration in the case. Talking to News 6 on Friday, Melissa Calhoun called the decision a win for all teachers, even though BPS still has no plans on rehiring her.
Concerned residents and business owners packed City Hall in Winter Garden on Thursday night, filling commission chambers to capacity as they voiced fears over how recent downtown property sales could reshape the community and force out small businesses.
The Florida Department of Health issued emergency rules Wednesday that will block thousands of Floridians from accessing their HIV medication.
Businesses could round cash sales up or down to the nearest nickel to account for the discontinuation of the penny under a bill that has passed the Florida Senate.
Legislation putting new restrictions on large-scale data centers, a major plank of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to put guardrails on artificial intelligence, cleared its first House committee on Tuesday.
“I mean, if we can’t get together on puppies, what can we get together on?” People who abuse animals would be put on a public registry under a bill passed unanimously by the Florida Senate on Friday. The bill (SB 1004) will require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to include information about people who violate animal cruelty laws on its website.
It’s a project addressing drainage and flooding complaints in Titusville, but some people on the street think digging ditches along the county right-of-way could create more problems in their neighborhood.
Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez won’t say whether Governor Ron DeSantis’ push for an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” will advance in his chamber this year. However, three weeks remain in the legislative session, and the bill has not been heard in a single House committee yet.
This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis left Florida to ask another state for help pushing forward a new national amendment.
The debate over a proposed liquefied natural gas plant at Port Canaveral is not the only fuel project that’s sparked a community backlash in Central Florida in the last few years. Residents have successfully fought off plans for gas and diesel storage facilities in Ormond Beach and Palm Coast too.
Insurance premiums are exploding across Florida — and for one retired math teacher in The Villages, the numbers are staggering. Instead of enjoying retirement, he’s trying to solve what may be the most baffling equation of his life. Last year, he paid $723 a month for coverage. In January, after enhanced federal health care subsidies expired, the bill jumped to more than $2,600 a month.
Rep. Monique Miller, R-Palm Bay, sponsored a proposal (HB 339), which would give someone who was harmed after receiving a vaccine up to three years to sue the manufacturer in civil court if that manufacturer advertised the drug in Florida.
Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a wide-ranging, passionate defense of President Donald Trump, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the Republican’s chief protector.
Orange County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve new spending guidelines for Visit Orlando following an audit that raised concerns about how tourist tax dollars were used. It all stems from an audit that found the tourism agency had miscategorized some of its spending.
A group of Deltona residents is preparing to take legal action against the city, claiming the city commission violated sunshine laws by holding a meeting that was supposed to be canceled.
Florida law dictates how tourist tax dollars can be used, and lawmakers have been reticent to make changes. Right now tourist tax dollars can only be used for tourism promotion or on facilities and programs that benefit tourism.
On Monday, the city council is set to approve a $30 million cap on construction costs, a key step to begin the project, which is expected to open in 2027.
Florida lawmakers moved ahead Thursday with a proposal to get cyclists on e-bikes to slow down around pedestrians and make other safety improvements, although many suggested the effort should cover people using electric scooters as well.
The Florida State Senate has unanimously approved legislation that would allow homeowners across the state to build small homes in their backyards, potentially expanding affordable housing options for residents struggling with rising costs.
A Venezuelan national who has been held for nearly 30 days in the Orange County Jail is entitled to a bond hearing in immigration court, a federal judge ruled Thursday. He's the latest immigrant detainee to go before the court in a habeas corpus case.
Volusia residents are rallying against an initiative known as “toilet to tap,” a water recycling method being promoted statewide to address drinking water shortages caused by new development and population growth. Many Volusia residents want the county to ban the practice before it becomes a possibility locally.
