The Haines City Commission has a full plate at its June 18 meeting, with votes expected on a new residential subdivision, gateway signage, water system upgrades, and a contract extension for the city’s top administrative officer.

New Subdivision Coming Near Lake Eva

Commissioners are being asked to approve a preliminary plat for Lake Eva Estates, a proposed 31-lot single-family subdivision on 16.68 acres west of 10th Street South. The project is zoned for low-density residential and comes with an approved traffic study. Polk County Public Schools issued a non-binding school concurrency letter finding adequate capacity at the elementary and middle school level, though Haines City High School is currently over capacity. Ridge Community High School, the adjacent school, has capacity available.

Gateway Signs Moving Forward

The commission is voting on a resolution authorizing the installation of new gateway signage at entry points into the city. The project, which began with AECOM concept renderings in 2023, requires a formal resolution under a Florida Department of Transportation Community Aesthetic Feature Agreement before construction can proceed. No budget impact is associated with this vote.

Water System Work on Multiple Fronts

Three separate utility items are on the agenda. The city is looking to purchase a bypass pump for Lift Station No. 9 for $143,574.51 rather than continue renting one at $103,861 per year, a move staff says will save money while a land acquisition issue delays the full station replacement project. The city is also approving an extra $19,100 in work on its Integrated Water Supply Plan with CHA Consulting to address updated state water use permit requirements. And surveyors from SurvTech Solutions have been hired for $5,345 to map easements needed for a water main extension on Holly Hill Cutoff Road connecting to the Charles Cove development.

City Clerk Contract Extended

The commission is considering a first amendment to City Clerk Sharon Lauther’s employment agreement, extending her term for an additional three years. Lauther was originally appointed in February 2023. The estimated budget impact for the remainder of fiscal year 2026 is $14,795. Commissioner Anne Huffman has been designated as the liaison for the negotiation process.

Juneteenth and Boys and Girls Club Proclamations

The commission will also issue a Juneteenth Freedom Day proclamation for June 19, noting that Haines City was the first municipality in Polk County to designate Juneteenth as a paid city employee holiday, a distinction the city achieved in 2020 under then-Mayor Morris L. West. A separate proclamation recognizes Boys and Girls Club Week for June 23 through 27.

Budget Preview

At a June 9 budget workshop, department heads presented fiscal year 2027 capital requests totaling tens of millions of dollars. The largest single item was a joint Police and Fire request for a $20 million public safety complex, which the commission agreed to pursue. Other major requests included a $5.25 million downtown parking garage, $3.4 million in fire apparatus and vehicle replacements, and a $4.85 million water treatment plant storage tank. The City Clerk’s request for a $40,000 take-home vehicle was struck from the capital budget.

The June 18 meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Haines City Hall, 620 E. Main St.

Source: City of Haines City Commission Agenda and Budget Workshop Minutes, June 18, 2026, hainescity.com

The post Haines City Commission Tackles Infrastructure, New Subdivision, and City Clerk Contract at June 18 Meeting first appeared on The Citrus Tea News and was written by Citrus Tea Staff. The Citrus Tea News covers Polk County, Florida. Truly Local News. Truly Polk County. thecitrustea.com

Polk County’s Water Future Is Already Under Pressure. Here Is What You Need to Know.

Across Polk County, the conversation about aging pipes and failing infrastructure is not just about what is underground today. It is about where the water comes from, how long it will last, and who is paying attention.

Where Polk County’s Water Comes From

Nearly every drop of drinking water in Polk County and across most of north and central Florida comes from the Upper Floridan Aquifer, a vast underground limestone formation that spans roughly 100,000 square miles beneath Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi. It is one of the most productive aquifers in the world and the primary drinking water source for nearly 10 million people.

In Polk County, every city and every unincorporated community depends on it. Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Fort Meade, Dundee, Davenport, and all 15 member governments of the Polk Regional Water Cooperative draw from the same source. Winter Haven alone pulls roughly 9.4 million gallons per day through 22 wells drilled approximately 800 feet into the ground, feeding nine water treatment plants that serve the city.

The problem is that the aquifer is not keeping up.

State water managers have determined that the Upper Floridan Aquifer in Polk County will reach its maximum sustainable withdrawal limit by the end of 2025. Polk County’s projected water demand is approximately 109 million gallons per day by 2040, but the aquifer’s sustainable yield is only 72 million gallons per day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated the aquifer is projected to be unable to meet drinking water demand by 2035, with the strain already threatening the drinking water of an estimated 635,000 people across the region.

That is not a future warning. That deadline is now.

The 2026 Drought Made It Visible

In March 2026, the Southwest Florida Water Management District declared Phase III extreme water shortage restrictions across the region after recording a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit over the prior 12 months. It was the first Phase III declaration since May 2017. Restrictions limiting irrigation to once per week were set to remain in effect through July 1, 2026, across Polk County, including Winter Haven.

What Some Cities Are Doing About It

Fort Meade is already living with the consequences of delayed infrastructure investment. The city’s water lines, built in the 1950s and 1960s, are past their useful life. Its wastewater replacement costs, estimated at $15.6 million in 2021, have nearly doubled since. Funding remains unresolved.

On May 11, 2026, the Winter Haven City Commission approved a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the Reclaim Transmission Loop Project, a roughly three-mile expansion of the city’s reclaimed water distribution system. Total estimated construction cost is $4 million. The FDEP Alternative Water Supply and Restoration Program is providing $1.5 million of that with no required city match.

The project will extend a reclaimed water transmission main from the intersection of County Road 653 and Thompson Nursery Road to Cypress Gardens Boulevard. The goal is to reduce demand on the Floridan Aquifer by replacing groundwater with treated, reused water for irrigation, which currently accounts for an estimated 38 to 50 percent of the city’s total water pumping.

Water Department Director Gary Hubbard described the project as designed to interconnect and expand the city’s reclaimed water distribution system to maximize its beneficial use while reducing demands on the traditional water supply.

The Regional Picture

Winter Haven is a member of the Polk Regional Water Cooperative, a consortium of Polk County and its 15 municipal governments formed to develop alternative water sources. The cooperative is currently building two reverse osmosis wellfields tapping the deeper Lower Floridan Aquifer, one near Frostproof and one in Lakeland, with a combined capacity of roughly 22.5 million gallons per day. Total project cost is approximately $598 million, funded through a $305 million EPA WIFIA loan and a $293 million Southwest Florida Water Management District grant. The Southeast Wellfield near Frostproof alone will supply alternative water to 11 different Polk County municipalities when complete.

Separately, the EPA has invited Winter Haven to apply for a $178 million WIFIA loan for the city’s broader One Water program, a long-term plan developed with Black and Veatch that includes wetland restoration, aquifer recharge, and reuse expansion. That loan has not yet closed.

What This Means Locally

The challenges Fort Meade and Winter Haven face are not isolated. They are the same story, playing out at different speeds across every municipality in Polk County, and against a backdrop of a water supply that state regulators say is already at its limit.

The Citrus Tea will continue reporting on water infrastructure and supply across Polk County.

Sources

• Fort Meade City Commission Meeting, June 9, 2026, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Briefing, presented by Evelyn Guffey, Director of Water and Wastewater, and City Manager Bell
• City of Winter Haven City Commission Meeting, May 11, 2026, agenda and approval of FDEP Grant Agreement, Reclaim Transmission Loop Project
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Alternative Water Supply and Restoration Program
• Southwest Florida Water Management District, Phase III Water Shortage Order, March 24, 2026
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WIFIA Loan Program, Polk Regional Water Cooperative project page
• Polk County Utilities, Water Conservation Services, polkfl.gov
• Polk Regional Water Cooperative, Water Supply Improvement Project, Carollo Engineers
• Southwest Florida Water Management District, Polk Regional Water Cooperative overview, WaterMatters.org
• U.S. Geological Survey, Floridan Aquifer System Groundwater Availability Study, fl.water.usgs.gov
• Mid Florida Newspapers, Four Corners Sun, “Big Changes Coming for Water Use and Development in Polk County,” May 4, 2025
• City of Winter Haven, Frequently Asked Questions, Water Supply, mywinterhaven.com
• Featured photo credit: Florida Aquifer Geology report presentation, September 2016

The post The Bigger Picture on Water Infrastructure and What It Means for Polk County first appeared on The Citrus Tea News and was written by Becky Mclachlan. The Citrus Tea News covers Polk County, Florida. Truly Local News. Truly Polk County. thecitrustea.com

The amendment for Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes passed the Florida House 75 to 26 and the Florida Senate 30 to 9 on Tuesday. It will be on the November 3 ballot, where it needs 60 percent voter approval to take effect. Two Republicans crossed the aisle to vote no: Rep. Nathan Boyles of Baker County and Rep. Patt Maney of Shalimar. They were not the only voices raising concerns. Florida cities, counties, sheriff’s offices, fire departments, and several statewide associations have been warning for weeks about what passage would mean for local budgets. Some of those warnings came from leaders right here in Polk County.

Start with the numbers. A House staff analysis estimated the amended proposal would reduce annual revenue to non-school local governments by $4.6 billion at first, growing to $8.4 billion per year. Either way, the impact would not be spread evenly. Some cities rely on homestead property taxes for a much bigger share of their budget than others.

NBC Miami reported analysis showing Cooper City in Broward County could see a 35 percent budget cut, Tamarac a 33 percent cut, and Plantation a 23 percent cut. The Florida League of Cities cited an independent study finding 85 Florida cities would see essential services like police, road maintenance, and flood infrastructure put at risk. The cities named include New Port Richey, Largo, Gulfport, Coral Springs, Davie, and Key West.

For Polk County specifically, here is what local leaders have told WFLA-TV.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued a written statement that read, “In its current form, I fear the proposal will devastate counties’ and cities’ ability to deliver vital services, including emergency services, to our citizens.” His office’s roughly $300 million annual budget is funded largely by county property tax revenue.

Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell told WFLA the county is in a stronger financial position to absorb the cuts than smaller cities are. “I do think the county is in a much better position to deal with it than like cities are.” Bartow City Manager Mike Herr was more pointed. He said, “There comes a point where citizens have an expectation for exceptional service and we’re going to reach a point where we’re not going to be able to do that.”

The Florida Association of Counties, the statewide group representing all 67 counties, sent an email to all 160 members of the Legislature on May 29 asking them to vote against the proposal. Per Florida Phoenix, the email called the plan a “tax shift” and argued, “Decisions about how to fund local services work best when they are made close to the people who live with them.”

Jeff Scala, deputy director of the Florida Association of Counties, was more direct in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 1. Per Florida Phoenix, Scala told committee members, “It’s a historic shift. Cities could go bankrupt and counties could be forced to consolidate. Nobody’s modeled it.”

Concerns about renters surfaced during the Senate floor debate. Sen. LaVon Bracy, a Democrat from Orlando, said renters could be harmed if landlords pocket the property tax savings rather than passing them through in lower rent. That concern lines up with research from housing economists who have studied similar measures in other states.

A few open questions remain. How much money will the state trust fund contain to help local governments make up the gap, and where will that money come from? What services will count as “core” and protected, beyond public safety, education, infrastructure, and natural resources? And what happens in cities where homesteads make up more than half the total tax base, like Palmetto Bay in Miami-Dade, where Mayor Karyn Cunningham told the Miami Herald the cuts would “destroy” the village?

The vote in Tallahassee is over. The next vote, is yours. It’s the one that decides whether any of this becomes law, and it happens on November 3. Polk County residents who want to weigh in with their local officials before then can email their BOCC commissioners and city commissioners directly. Contact information is on the Polk County government website and on each city’s official site.

Sources: NBC Miami, Governing magazine, WFLA-TV, Florida Phoenix, Local 10 News, Spectrum News 13, Miami Herald, News4JAX, WGCU, WCTV, and CBS Miami reporting from May 27 to June 3, 2026; House staff analysis of HJR 1F (flhouse.gov).

The post No More Property Tax? Should we be concerned? first appeared on The Citrus Tea News and was written by Becky Mclachlan. The Citrus Tea News covers Polk County, Florida. Truly Local News. Truly Polk County. thecitrustea.com

In Florida Property Tax Relief: What Voters Will Decide in November, we walked through what the property tax amendment headed to the November 3 ballot would actually do. Now we look at why supporters say it should pass.

Governor DeSantis has been pushing this idea for over a year. In the past week he has been on Fox News, on his social media, and at events from Tampa to Pasco County. The argument he and other backers are making rests on a handful of points worth understanding in their own words.

Start with the size of the bill. In his May 27 announcement, DeSantis said the total amount of property taxes collected by Florida cities and counties has nearly doubled over the past seven years, from $32 billion to $60 billion. His office expects it to hit $83 billion by 2032 if nothing changes. He blames part of that on local governments raising rates and on home values rising.

If approved, once the homestead exemption reaches $250,000 in 2028, the Governor says about 60 percent of Florida homeowners with a homestead would owe zero county or city property tax. He has hinted at raising the exemption even higher, possibly to $500,000. According to Bloomberg and Fox 29, at $500,000 about 92 percent of Florida homesteaders would pay zero non-school property tax.

The plan does not change how vacation homes, rental properties, second homes, or commercial real estate are taxed, beyond dropping the annual value-increase cap from 10 percent to 5 percent. DeSantis put it bluntly on May 27. “If some billionaire from Brazil is buying something, tax them. I’m looking out for Floridians.” A regular Floridian’s primary home gets the break, and a beach house owned by a wealthy out-of-state buyer does not.

Newcomers will face a five-year waiting period. DeSantis told reporters in Brevard County, per the Florida Phoenix, that he does not want “every Tom, Dick, and Harry from out of state moving and rushing to buy a home here because they get a tax benefit.” Anyone who establishes Florida residency after January 1, 2027 has to live here for up to five years before they can claim the bigger exemption.

The bill’s Senate sponsor, Republican Bryan Avila of Hialeah, defended the design during floor debate Tuesday. According to WCTV, Avila said the bill does not stop local governments from charging “any sort of special assessment or fee” to make up for lost revenue. “The natural inclination of local governments should be to look at their spending,” he said.

Senate President Ben Albritton sent senators a memo on May 27 supporting the plan. Per Click Orlando, Albritton wrote, “I can’t think of a more meaningful way to celebrate America’s 250 than the passage of $250,000 in tax relief for every Florida homeowner.” House Speaker Daniel Perez was drier. Per NBC Miami, Perez said, “We are pleased the Governor has finally gotten around to share an actual proposal.”

Support was not strictly along party lines. Three Democratic senators voted yes: Mack Bernard of West Palm Beach, Daryl Rouson of St. Petersburg, and Barbara Sharief of Miramar. Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban, also a Democrat, told WCTV he could accept the trade-off. “It might be a hit on our budget for property taxes and our general revenue. However, that’s money going right back into taxpayers’ hands, and we’re not even going to take it in the first place.”

The bluntest argument came from State Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. Per Yahoo News, Ingoglia said, “Taxpayers are sick and tired of their local governments taxing and spending, crying poor, saying they don’t have the money and then come back to you as an endless ATM asking for more, more, more.”

The Governor’s office set up a website with a tax calculator. You can plug in your Polk County address and see what you would have saved on your 2025 tax bill if the plan had been in place.

In our next article, The Other Side of the Property Tax Vote: What Local Leaders Are Warning About, we look at what local leaders here in Polk County are saying about how this amendment could affect city and county budgets if voters approve it.

Sources: Office of the Governor of Florida press release dated May 27, 2026 (flgov.com); Click Orlando, NBC Miami, WCTV, CBS Miami, Florida Phoenix, and Yahoo News reporting from May 27 to June 3, 2026; Bloomberg and Fox 29 reporting summarized by Moneywise dated May 30, 2026.

The post Why Some Florida Leaders Are Backing the Property Tax Plan first appeared on The Citrus Tea News and was written by Citrus Tea Staff. The Citrus Tea News covers Polk County, Florida. Truly Local News. Truly Polk County. thecitrustea.com

The Florida Legislature voted yesterday to put a sweeping property tax cut on the November ballot. The House passed it 75 to 26. The Senate passed it 30 to 9. Now the question moves out of Tallahassee and into your hands.

If you have been anywhere near a TV or a coffee shop this past week, you have heard most of the talking points already. Governor Ron DeSantis has been everywhere making the case. Local government leaders and sheriff’s offices have been raising concerns. But almost nobody on either side has walked through what the plan actually does. That is what this piece is for.

Before we get into it, here is where The Citrus Tea stands. We are not taking a side on this one. The point of this three-part series is to lay out what the plan does, what supporters are saying, and what local leaders right here in Polk County are worried about. The vote is yours. We just want you walking into it knowing the facts.

In Florida today, if you own a home and you actually live in it, you can claim a homestead exemption. You have to apply by the end of March to be eligible the following tax year. The exemption is the chunk of your home’s value the government does not tax. Today, the exemption is $50,000. So if your home is assessed at $250,000, you pay property tax on $200,000 of that value.

The Governor’s plan, called Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes, raises that exemption a lot, but in steps. If voters say yes on the November ballot, here is what would go into effect:

Starting January 1, 2027, the exemption jumps from $50,000 to $150,000. Starting January 1, 2028, it jumps again to $250,000. After that, the Legislature would be required to keep raising it, with the eventual goal of eliminating homestead property taxes entirely. In practical terms, if your home is worth $250,000 or less, you would owe zero county or city property tax by 2028. If your home is worth more, you would only pay tax on the part above the exemption.

Schools are protected, but that was a late addition. The Governor’s original draft tried to cover school taxes too. Lawmakers in both chambers carved them out before the final vote. Even if you owe nothing for county or city property tax someday, you would still pay the part of your bill that funds public schools.

Vacation homes, rental properties, second homes, and businesses are not part of the break. Those properties keep their current property taxes owed, with one tweak. The maximum amount their assessed value can rise each year for tax purposes drops from 10 percent to 5 percent starting next year.

There is a five-year waiting period built in for newcomers. The Governor said this was to “keep out-of-state buyers from rushing in to claim the tax break.” Anyone who establishes Florida residency after January 1, 2027, has to live here for up to five years before they qualify for the bigger exemption.

There is also a list of what local governments can spend remaining property tax money on, and this is where local leaders are most concerned. The proposal limits use to public safety, education, infrastructure, including stormwater management, and natural resources. Right now, your county and city property taxes help fund the sheriff’s office, fire departments, parks, libraries, mosquito control, animal services, and a long list of other local programs. Under the new rules, anything outside the core list would have to be funded by another source. The plan creates a new state trust fund to help cities and counties replace some of the lost revenue. The Governor’s office has not yet said how big that fund will be or where the money will come from.

For all of this to actually take effect, the amendment has to clear one more hurdle. At least 60 percent of Florida voters have to vote yes on November 3. If it falls short of 60 percent, the plan dies, and the current $50,000 homestead exemption stays in place. Local budgets will remain untouched by the plan.

In Why Some Florida Leaders Are Backing the Property Tax Plan, we lay out the case supporters are making for it, in their own words. After that, we look at what local leaders, including officials right here in Polk County, are saying about the budget impact.

Sources: Florida Senate bill history for SJR 2-F and Florida House bill history for HJR 1F (flsenate.gov, flhouse.gov); Office of the Governor of Florida press release dated May 27, 2026 (flgov.com); Click Orlando, Fox 35 Orlando, WCTV, CBS Miami, First Coast News, and Florida Phoenix reporting from June 1 to June 3, 2026.

The post Florida Property Tax Relief: What Voters Will Decide on the November Ballot first appeared on The Citrus Tea News and was written by Citrus Tea Staff. The Citrus Tea News covers Polk County, Florida. Truly Local News. Truly Polk County. thecitrustea.com