Fiscal Rangers

Publix Map of Shelf Inventories for store in Tavares, FL

To make Publix shopping easier, I created a floor map of goods and their aisle locations to use for shopping. This Excel version is for the Tavares, FL Publix at HWY 19 and CR 561. Download it, and create your own version for your local grocery store and shopping preferences. Read more →

Bad Roads & Traffic Jams in Lake County? Perhaps we need a #FixOurDamnRoads Initiative like Colorado!

Fed up with bad roads or traffic jams in Lake County or your city while officials spend mega-millions on: - new buildings, - splash parks, - interest payments to pay for non-infrastructure projects, - bike trails, - brick roads, - huge benefit increases including massive retiree benefits, - employee raises costing more than the cost of living, - staff time on private projects like Wellness Way, - "lifestyle" projects, - spending on downtown city projects more than road repairs, - social welfare programs, - free buses that lose money on every trip, - police radios ($18-million), - bureaucratic "required" studies, - huge parks, - trails, - lawsuits, - events and - local charities? Instead of cutting back on those, the Lake County Board (and cities) plan to hike your fuel taxes (it is coming). Everything else, it seems, is a priority over roads. In Colorado, citizens have formed a tax rebellion movement called #FixOurDamnRoads" and collected over 150,000 signatures provided to the Secretary of State. They demand the roads be fixed WITHOUT ANY TAX INCREASES Perhaps we need such a #FixOurDamnRoads program for Lake County. If you see a Lake Country traffic jam or bad road problems, take a picture... Read more →

Lake County, FL Bad Roads - Increased Impact Fees on Tomorrow's County Board Agenda

Traffic and road conditions are getting worse in Lake County. We talk about some of the issues, and how some more funding may be on the way if the Lake County Board starts the process to increase road impact fees on new construction. Read more →

Tavares, FL City Council Meeting VIDEO - Mar. 7, 2018 - More admin screwups postpone Shirley Shores Annexation AGAIN

Tavares, FL Mar. 11, 2018 I uploaded a video to YouTube of the Tavares, FL City Council meeting held on March 7, 2018 which is HERE: https://youtu.be/AWMAe7TYQC0. The agenda location is on the 2nd slide. Length is 1 hr, 17 min. The short link to THIS blog page is: https://tinyurl.com/TavaresFLMarch7 I have decided to write some comments about the actions seen in this meeting video which are below. Tab 7 - Annexation and Rezoning related to Shirley Shores Road / Hidden River Lakes proposed 222 acre development. THIS WAS POSTPONED DUE TO IMPROPER NOTIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC BY THE DEVELOPER'S REPRESENTATIVES. See overview starting at 3:55 on the video then more later. Probably at least 60 neighbors were there for this issue and for the 3rd or 4th time, the procedures were botched, so the issue was postponed to a future meeting. Apparently the developer representatives must follow certain steps and the city staff does not ensure they are followed, then the opposition attorney raises the issue and ONCE AGAIN, the issue is postponed. I am flabbergasted the City staff has no sanctions or fines to apply when zoning/land use change requesters don't follow the rules. So everyone will have... Read more →

Fish Kill in boating canal behind my house in Tavares, FL

The recent cold weather caused a fish kill in this canal off Lake Dora, Tavares, FL Read more →

Yippee! Lake County, FL & Three Cities try to increase efficiency by measuring performance metrics

Florida is home to the largest consortium of cities and counties tracking performance benchmarks, called the Florida Benchmarking Consortium. The Lake County government, plus three cities, Mt. Dora, Tavares and Clermont joined FBC last year (2017). The first annual FBC report showing performance measures for more than 30 members was just published in Dec., 2017 for fiscal year 2015-16 and they are in it. We review the overall program here, and will cover specific results in a future article. Read more →

FiscalRangers.com Alert: FEMA and SBA opening a Hurricane IRMA assistance office in Tavares, FL (Lake County, FL) starting tomorrow, Oct. 19 for 4 days.

Tavares, FL Wed. Oct 18, 2017 Update: Here is the official press release describing the FEMA assistance office. The article below was corrected to describe the office as an assistance, NOT claims center. Breaking news: FEMA is opening a Hurricane IRMA damage assistance shop, along with SBA in Lake County, FL at the Agriculture Center in Tavares on HWY 19 and Woodlea Road. It starts with a "soft Opening" tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 19 at 1pm to the evening, then open four more days to provide Hurricane IRMA disaster recovery assistance. This was announced at the Tavares City Council meeting about an hour ago (Wed. Oct. 18, 5:30 pm). I have no other details, so I imagine it will be in the newspapers tomorrow, so if you have damage, plan to determine how they can help. VERIFY this by watching for other notices. http://lake.ifas.ufl.edu/ Look for details as I get them at FiscalRangers.com I will go by there tomorrow to get an update - it is only about 3 blocks from my house. "Some of the services available include federal disaster assistance, low-interest loans for homeowners and businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration and crisis counseling." "For more information, call... Read more →

Updated: Two City Meetings today in Lake County, FL Illustrate dangers of building homes in rural areas that could be annexed by cities.

Tavares, FL Sept 20, 2017 Post meeting updates for both meetings were added at the end of each section at 8pm on Sept. 20, 2017. Can any Lake County, FL resident who built a "dream home" in rural or lakefront Lake County feel safe from being annexed by a nearby city with higher taxes and high density planned development over their back fence? Today are two meetings affecting future living styles of retirees in rural Lake County residences. Two different cities are trying to annex different land areas that County rural residents don't want to happen. They don't want the taxes, or they don't want the planned nearby development that conflicts with the existing land uses. (Note: I will post updates on these meetings below each section after they take place today.) 1. The Tavares City Council meets today, Sept. 20, 2017 at 4pm to review and approve two ordinances that would result in annexation of 222 acres on Shirley Shores Road of rural lands near Deer Island on the south shore of Lake Dora. The second ordinance would change the County defined "rural transition" land use to city land use densities of 3 units per acre compared to existing... Read more →

Tavares, FL City Council Meeting & Video - World Peace, Xmas Lights, Golf course subsidies & more - Aug. 2, 2017

Tavares, FL Aug. 2, 2017 Here is our full video of the August 2, 2017 Tavares, FL City Council Meeting Compared to the insane meetings recently at Mt. Dora (firing the City Attorney), Groveland (tried to fire the suspended Finance Director but reached an impasse), and Eustis (3 Council Amigos trying to investigate the residency of a fellow Councilman), the Tavares City Council implemented sanity, world peace, new Warner Bros. Christmas Train events, fancy Christmas lights and initiated an ordinance to allow mini-pigs. The City Police Chief, Stony Lubins, swore in three new police department members, and parents and friends went nuts taking pictures. The Council voted down a proposal to buy and maintain a fallow golf course at Bay Tree Estates, saving existing taxpayers from a most likely boondoggle. Staff created a WELL researched guide on the dubious future of golf courses and the City Council listened. The City Council also denied a request from the now rundown Baytree golf course owner, who can't find a buyer, to waive cutting the overgrown grass. Baytree residents complained of bugs, high grass and enroaching water mocassins. An ordinance to allow mini-pigs in yards moved through the first reading. Next time, public... Read more →

Week of July 31, 2017 - Lots of Political News and Plans

This is a recap of all the upcoming political events in Lake County the week of July 31, 2017. Read more →