This week, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released “The Taxpayers’ Guide to Florida’s FY2022-23 State Budget,” providing an overview of Florida’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 state budget, which was passed by the Florida Legislature during the 2022 Legislative Session and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 2.
Within the guide, FTW – a trusted government watchdog for over four decades – analyzes all appropriations for the new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, including the General Appropriations Act (GAA), “back-of-bill” spending, and general bills, net of the governor’s vetoes. These items total $110.189 billion in spending, representing an 8.4 percent increase from last year and a nearly 20 percent increase in the last two years.
Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro weighed in on the guide.
“With the new fiscal year right around the corner, Florida TaxWatch is hopeful that people will use this annual guide to equip themselves with the information they need to actively participate in government and hold their elected officials accountable. The Florida Legislature had almost $54 billion in General Revenue to develop this new budget, and they made substantial investments in the environment, education, and health care areas, in addition to providing $1 billion in tax relief and maintaining a record level of reserves – bolstered by the governor’s $3 billion in line-item vetoes. These thoughtful decisions are poised to have a lasting impact on our state’s wellbeing and ultimate success, and we look forward to joining our fellow taxpayers in monitoring their implementation in the months ahead,” Calabro said.
“This report takes a 517-page document that is very hard for non-insiders to understand and condenses it into this handy pocket-sized guide. We do this each year because Florida TaxWatch remains committed to ensuring Florida taxpayers can easily access clear, understandable analyses of where and how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent. We are the only organization to offer a comprehensive guide to Florida’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget, and we are incredibly proud to present it to the public as the new fiscal year takes effect this week,” Calabro added.
