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Extensive Media Enterprises If you need a break from election autopsies, look no further: the county is offering residents a way to add a new family member and make the area a little greener, starting now.
This week, Leon County Government is inviting you to get your green thumb on and apply for a free tree through the county’s “Adopt-A-Tree Program.” The program is open to Leon County residents whose property is outside Tallahassee city limits. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2027, at LeonCountyFL.gov/AdoptATree on a first-come, first-served basis.
Make sure when you apply that you select the “delivery only" option if you ultimately want to plant the tree on your own time and schedule. If you think you’ll need help with planting and the entire process (maybe you just aren’t as spry as you used to be), select the “delivery and plant” method, which will have a Leon County staffer place and plant the tree.
You can have your tree planted between your home and a publicly maintained road, or a privately maintained road with public access. All participants also agree to water their tree at least three times a week for a year.
Deliveries and planting will start in February 2027. Leon County residents can pick from three native species: eastern redbud, a small ornamental tree that averages 20 feet tall and is known for its vibrant pink Spring blooms; sweetbay magnolia, a medium-sized evergreen that can reach upwards of 35 feet tall and is known for its creamy-white, lemon-scented blossoms in May and June; or the classic live oak, a large, long-lived shade tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall with a canopy spanning 120 feet and is often seen draped in Spanish moss.
A family tree you can actually water.
Since 2007, the Adopt-A-Tree Program has helped provide 6,800-plus trees in nearly 250 neighborhoods throughout the 850 area, helping residents enhance the beauty and value of their properties and communities.
When tourists, elected officials, or students come to Tallahassee for classes, sightseeing, football games, politics, or personal business, one of the first things that strikes many is the beauty of the trees that canopy across town.
Centerville, Miccosukee, Meridian, Old Bainbridge, Old St. Augustine — these roads offer jaw-dropping beauty and a natural, nostalgic feel Hollywood can only wish to replicate.
When you take part in the Adopt-A-Tree program, you help Leon County preserve that unique feel and ethereal quality of nature, which in turn supports the community’s health, quality of life, and, of course, economic strength.
Most importantly, planting native trees helps protect the local ecosystem by providing more habitat and food for native insects, birds, and other wildlife you might see at the Tallahassee Museum or on an early morning run.
If you have questions, contact Dean Richards of Leon County Public Works at 850-606-1400 or RichardsD@LeonCountyFL.gov.
What are you waiting for? You’ve got a new tree buddy joining the family, a symbol of your love, bond, and strength with your family and community forever.
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Coming up, the usual assortment of news, intel, and observations from the week that was in Florida's capital city, by Peter Schorsch, Drew Wilson, Drew Dixon, Liam Fineout, and the staff of Florida Politics.
But first, the "Takeaway 5" — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:
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Take 5 |
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Clean sweep, close shave — Florida Republicans didn’t escape Election Night unscathed, but they kept every statewide office on the ballot. Byron Donalds narrowly defeated David Jolly and will become Florida’s first Black Governor. Ashley Moody held Florida’s U.S. Senate seat, while James Uthmeier, Blaise Ingoglia and Wilton Simpson completed the sweep in the three Cabinet races. The margins were considerably tighter than Florida Republicans have grown accustomed to, with the five winners clustered around 50% or 51%. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Home-field advantage — The polls said Amendment 3 was likely to fall short. Florida voters had other ideas. The property-tax amendment won about 62% support, clearing the 60% threshold for passage. It will increase the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $250,000 beginning in 2028. Gov. Ron DeSantis backed the proposal in the campaign’s closing weeks, even while acknowledging he wasn't giving it the full-court press. His chosen successor narrowly survived—and, if you ask DeSantis, Amendment 3 being on the ballot is why.
Supermajority, no more — Florida Democrats didn’t win control of the Legislature. They did win something they haven’t possessed in years: leverage. House Democrats gained 15 seats and will enter the next term with at least 49 members, their largest caucus in three decades. That gives incoming Democratic Leader Christine Hunschofsky the votes Republicans will need for actions requiring two-thirds support, including rule waivers, veto overrides, and certain tax, fee, and public-records measures. Republicans also lack a supermajority in the incoming Senate, which stands at 25 Republicans, 13 Democrats, one NPA member, and one vacancy, though the vacancy is in a deep-red District. And Democrats didn’t merely pick off a backbencher. John Lowndes demolished Senate President Pro Tempore Jason Brodeur by nearly 12 points in SD 10.
Dummymander nets nothing — Florida Republicans redrew the congressional map expecting it to produce as many as four additional GOP seats. Instead, Democrats appear poised to preserve the same eight seats they held before the mid-decade redraw. Kathy Castor and Jared Moskowitz survived districts designed to imperil them. Pia Dandiya kept an open battleground seat blue, while Darren Soto leads in CD 9. If the current leaders hold, Florida’s delegation remains exactly where it started: 20 Republicans and eight Democrats. Republicans argue the map forced Democrats to spend money defending home turf. Fair enough. But the scoreboard remains stubbornly unimpressed. Call it the 100-IQ play: perfectly average, phenomenally expensive and good for zero net seats.
Committee intelligence — House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison’s proposed House structure adds full Committees devoted to Advanced Technology and Digital Security, Policy and Strategy, and Public Integrity. It also restores some familiar Tallahassee branding: Budget becomes Appropriations again, while Ways and Means reverts to Finance and Tax. One Daniel Perez creation, the Security and Threat Assessment Committee, disappears. Altogether, the House will have 11 full Committees, up from nine, and 22 Subcommittees, down from 23. Artificial intelligence is also getting its own Committee before it takes everyone else’s Committee assignments.
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Up, up, and away |
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With Tuesday’s election, you were understandably focused on the big-picture things.
So it makes sense if you missed DeSantis in Tampa last week showing off “flying cars” as they officially took to the skies for the first time in a series of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) flight demonstrations led by the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT).
The demonstration flights were part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) and AAM Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a milestone in Florida’s efforts to transform how people and goods are transported.
“This morning, history was made in Tampa Bay with Florida’s first Advanced Air Mobility electric aircraft demonstration flights. From the first commercial airline flight over Tampa Bay in 1914, to today’s AAM demonstrations along that same historic route, Florida has long been a launchpad for new ideas that shape the future of transportation. I’m proud that Florida is a place where groundbreaking transportation technologies can be developed and deployed,” DeSantis said.
“Thanks to strategic investments, education partnerships, and policies that promote innovation, we’re ensuring that Florida continues to lead the way in aviation and aerospace.”
These flights in Florida’s “Future of Flight Series” also serve as a fact-finding mission for the FAA as it develops the regulations and operating procedures necessary to safely deploy flying cars for commercial use.
The morning commute has entered the chat.
“More than 100 years ago, Florida helped launch the commercial aviation industry, and now Florida is paving the way for the future of flying cars. The work we are doing today will revolutionize the way people and goods move around the state, and this flight series will serve as an important step forward in our efforts to take highways to the sky,” added Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue.
The demonstrations also paid homage to Tony Jannus’ historic 1914 flight between St. Petersburg and Tampa, which, fun fact, was the world’s first commercial airline flight.
Former St. Petersburg Mayor Abram C. Pheil won the auction to be Jannus' passenger.
“Florida is leading the way in embracing electric air taxis and the opportunities they will create for residents and visitors alike,” stated Joby Aviation Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt.
“It’s exciting to see the state turn that ambition into action, and we’re proud to work with FDOT as we plan to fly our aircraft across the state, from Tampa Bay and Orlando to the Space Coast. These flights will give communities a firsthand look at how quiet, electric vertical flight can transform everyday travel, beginning on the route where commercial aviation was born.”
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Triumph for Triumph |
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A longtime Panhandle community and business leader is joining the Board that oversees recovery funding from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Attorney General Uthmeier announced Oct. 30 that he is appointing Sandy Sims to the Board of Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. The nonprofit was established to direct funding to address the spill's economic damage. Board members administer the distribution of those funds.
Sims has deep roots in Northwest Florida. She is the former Director of External Relations for Gulf Power Co., where she also worked on economic, community and operations development projects and served as General Manager for the Panama City area.
A familiar face for the Panhandle’s next chapter.
She has chaired the Niceville Chamber of Commerce, the WSRE public television Board and the Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees. She was also a founding Board member of Impact 100 of Northwest Florida.
A graduate of Fort Walton Beach High School and the University of West Florida, Sims has built a 40-year career in the region.
Triumph Gulf Coast oversees about 75% of the state’s economic damage settlement funds from the spill and distributes them to the eight Panhandle counties most affected: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla.
The Triumph Gulf Coast panel has seven members. Several high-level Florida officials appoint the members, with the Attorney General, Governor, and Chief Financial Officer each selecting one. The Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and President of the Florida Senate appoint two members each.
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Triple play |
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Florida grows houses with remarkable enthusiasm.
But three working farms covering more than 3,200 acres won’t be joining the crop.
Agriculture Commissioner Simpson announced that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services purchased rural land-protection easements on properties in Hardee, Okeechobee, and Levy counties for a combined $10 million.
Unlike an outright state purchase, the easements prevent future development while allowing the privately owned land to remain in agricultural production.
The deal protects the 522-acre D.T. Davis Ranch cattle operation in Hardee County for $2.95 million and the 180-acre Micco Bluff Ranch in Okeechobee County for nearly $2.2 million. Micco Bluff sits beside the Kissimmee River in the Greater Everglades ecosystem.
Micco Bluff Ranch in Okeechobee County is among three working farms newly protected from development. Image via FDACS.
The biggest piece is The Flatwoods, a 2,572-acre timber and cattle operation in Levy County. The state paid $4.9 million for two easements covering the property, which sits about 8 miles north of Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park.
All three properties are within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and enrolled in the state’s agricultural Best Management Practices program.
FDACS says its Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has now preserved more than 257,000 acres of working agricultural land since its creation in 2001, including more than 191,000 acres during Simpson’s tenure.
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Bank it |
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On Monday, Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky announced that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) secured over $46 million in excess profits to return to policyholders.
So if you’re a policyholder of Infinity Auto Insurance Company, step right up: Your profit refund is coming within 60 days. The profits cover the accident years of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
“Insurers must act in the best interest of Florida consumers, and I commend Infinity Auto for reviewing their finances and providing data promptly to the Office of Insurance Regulation. We are aware of other auto insurance companies approaching the statutory threshold for excess profits and anticipate more announcements of refunds for Floridians in the near future,” Yaworsky said.
Infinity Auto will attempt to locate any policyholders whose refund checks were returned. If no contact is made, Infinity will report and process the funds as unclaimed or abandoned property in accordance with Chapter 717, Florida Statutes.
For once, the insurance check is coming your way.
“When insurers are able to return money to their customers, it helps drive down costs for families. These refunds make a big difference for Floridians working hard every day to put food on the table while maintaining proper auto insurance coverage,” stated CFO Ingoglia.
“Refunds like this are further proof that our insurance market continues to strengthen, the reforms are working, and I look forward to making more announcements like this in the near future.”
According to the law, insurers must return any excess profits if underwriting gains for the three most recent calendar-accident years combined exceed the anticipated underwriting profit plus 5% of earned premiums for those years. OIR reminds all other auto insurers of this obligation. TO SEE MORE TAKAWAYS FROM TALLAHASSEE CLICK HERE | | |
