Florida TaxWatch

Dominic M. CalabroWebsitewww.floridataxwatch.org

Florida TaxWatch is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute located in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1979 as the Citizens Council for Budget Research, Florida TaxWatch conducts research aimed at improving government efficiency and accountability. Florida TaxWatch is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit educational and research organization.^[1] Since 1982, the organization has been led by President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro.^[2]

Instead of Centers of Excellence, Florida TaxWatch operates two research institutes:

• The Census Institute - Focuses on the implications and importance of census data for policy-making and resource allocation in Florida.
• The Institute of Quality Health and Aging - Dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Florida's aging population through research.

Additionally, Florida TaxWatch oversees the Citizenship Institute, an applied learning program distinct from traditional research efforts. This program offers 3-4 days of intensive instruction from a diverse group of experts including current or former agency heads, legislators, distinguished university professors, and other state and local officials. Among the prominent instructors is Florida’s 40th Governor, Bob Martinez. With a class size limited to 15-20 participants, the Citizenship Institute focuses on practical government interaction and policy impact, significantly differing from conventional leadership programs.

In 1977, incoming Florida Senate President Phil Lewis approached Mark Hollis, then Vice President of Publix Super Markets, about the business community coming to the Florida Legislature to seek increases in consumer taxes rather than finding ways to hold the line on spending. Following this discussion, the two decided that a state government watchdog was needed.

An organizational meeting convened in Tampa two years later resulted in the formation of the Citizens Council for Budget Research, which five years later was renamed Florida TaxWatch. The founders were Winn-Dixie Chairman J.E. Davis, T. Wayne Davis, Publix Super Markets founder George Jenkins and President Mark Hollis, and Florida State Senator Phil Lewis and Florida State Senator Ken Plante.^[3]

Florida TaxWatch is currently located in the former St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal church. Built in 1899, the church was constructed on land purchased by black members of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church and was, at one point, the oldest African-American church in Tallahassee.^[4]

Florida TaxWatch produces a range of influential research reports and briefings that scrutinize various economic and policy issues impacting Florida. The publications aim to foster transparency, accountability, and informed policy-making. Some recent examples as of 2024 include:

Title	Author(s)
Florida TaxWatch Census Primer: Agriculture	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst
The 2030 Census Needs Your Attention: A Legislative Primer for the 2030 Census	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst
2020 Census – How Florida Counties Compare	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst

Title	Author(s)
Addressing Florida's Escalating Physician Shortage: Strategies and Solutions	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst; Contributing Author: Jui Shah, Research Economist
Social Determinants of Health: Health Care Access and Quality	Jui Shah, Research Economist
Social Determinants of Health: Education Access and Quality	Bob Nave, Senior VP of Research; Contributing Author: Jui Shah, Research Economist

Title	Author(s)
2024 Update: Long-Term Rental Markets In Florida	Jessica Cimijotti, Research Analyst
2024 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research
Monitoring and Oversight of General Obligation Bonds to Improve Broward County Schools: Q2 (2023-2024)	Bob Nave, Senior VP of Research
Session Summary: 2024 Taxpayer Roundup	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research
Unleashing Digital Transformation: 2023 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit Summary Report	Bob Nave, Senior VP of Research
Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2024	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research
“If You Build It, He Will Come”: Florida TaxWatch Looks At The Tampa Bay Rays’ Ballpark Proposal	Bob Nave, Senior VP of Research
2024 Budget Turkey Watch Report	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research; Contributing Authors: Meg Cannan, Jessica Cimijotti, Jui Shah
Monitoring and Oversight of General Obligation Bonds to Improve Broward County Schools: Q3 (2023-2024)	Bob Nave, Senior VP of Research
Florida Economic Forecast (2023 - 2028)	Jui Shah, Research Economist
The Taxpayer's Guide to Florida's FY2024-25 State Budget	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research
Briefing: Florida's Property Insurance Market	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst
An Independent Assessment of the Economic Impacts of Indian River State College	Jui Shah, Research Economist; Contributing Author: Jessica Cimijotti, Research Analyst
Budget Watch: Florida Revenue Estimators Increase Forecast for the Ninth Consecutive Time, Adding $2 Billion to State Coffers	Kurt Wenner, Senior VP of Research
Briefing: Are Floridians Ready to Go Back to School? Not Without More Teachers…2024 Update	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst
From Roads to Roots: A Review of Florida’s Highway Landscape Spending	Meg Cannan, Senior Research Analyst

Florida TaxWatch organizes a variety of annual events aimed at promoting efficiency and accountability in state government, as well as recognizing leadership and performance in education:

Despite claims of non-partisanship, Florida TaxWatch policy positions have been described in the media as consistent with conservative fiscal policy.^[9][10] As a business-backed policy group, some of the watchdog groups' proposals have generated controversy, including selling advertisements on state government-owned road signs, eliminating the traditional pension plan and deferred retirement options for public employees, and increasing requirements for state-backed scholarship programs to reduce eligibility.^[11]

• Official website