Sunshine Economy Summit

Florida Gubernatorial Nominees Byron Donalds and David Jolly to Headline WLRN's Inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit

WLRN will bring Florida's Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees, David Jolly and Byron Donalds, to its inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit on September 23, 2026, at the Downtown Event Center in Fort Lauderdale.

The candidates will participate in separate, moderated conversations about their economic priorities ahead of the November election, anchoring a gathering focused on the decisions shaping South Florida's future.

Presented by Platinum Sponsor Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, with support from Gold Sponsor Kaufman Rossin, the summit will connect statewide policy with the concerns facing South Florida residents and employers. Housing affordability, insurance costs, workforce changes and opportunities for investment and job creation will frame a regional conversation about how growth can translate into lasting prosperity.

"The economy is not abstract. It is the cost of a home, the future of a business and whether people can build a life here," said Tom Hudson, WLRN's CEO and special correspondent, who will host the summit. "We're bringing the people making consequential decisions into a conversation about what those decisions mean for the communities we serve."

A regional perspective will come from Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga and Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch. Across two mayoral discussions, they will explore the connections between local government property tax revenues, economic development and immigration's effects on the workforce and business community.

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Immigrant groups want to protect Illegals from the Law

Lake Worth Beach urged to rethink PBSO contract extension over fears of immigration crackdown

It's all about ICE and allowing anyone to enter our country uninvited

Immigrant rights groups on Thursday gathered outside Lake Worth Beach City Hall to decry the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) enforcement agreement with federal immigration authorities.

The groups are urging members of the Lake Worth Beach city commission to reject a proposed 10-year contract extension with the sheriff's office.

Their argument: “Lake Worth Beach has an opportunity to decide what kind of community it wants to be,” said Renata Bozzetto, Deputy Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, (a group that wants all people to live and work without fear) “A 10-year law-enforcement agreement that expands collaboration with federal immigration authorities deserves far more scrutiny than a routine contract renewal."

"We have hundreds of families who are [being] separated, hundreds of kids who are left without a mom and a dad who are either in detention or deported at this moment," Bozzetto said. "It's hurting the community on a daily basis."

Lake Worth contracts with PBSO for 24/7 public safety services. PBSO provides everything from top command officers to school crossing guards, allowing the city not to have to fund its own police department.

The Lake Worth Beach city commission is expected to discuss the proposed extension with PBSO on Aug. 18.

The city will also supply a dedicated local district office for the assigned deputies. Annual cost could total nearly $16 million for the contract. Additional law enforcement services are billed at hourly rates of $142 for a deputy and $183 for a sergeant.

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Property values Palm Beach County rising but at slower level

Lake Worth Beach property values have risen: $3.6 billion, or 7.8%.

Property values in Palm Beach County are still rising, but not as quickly

As experts predicted, the nearly double-digit increases in the Palm Beach County tax rolls slowed this year after a three-year ride.

Property values rose 7.7% countywide, a slower increase than in the past three years when values rose 9.6% in 2024, 13.5% in 2023 and 15% in 2022. Not since the 5.6% increase in 2021 has the tax roll increase been lower.

The countywide valuation stood at $209 billion in 2020. The preliminary calculation for 2025 puts it at $341 billion, up 62%. Cities account for $237 billion of the county’s value, up 62% from $146 billion in 2020.

It’s important because local governments use the valuations to determine the tax rate residents pay to cover the cost of police, fire-rescue, libraries, schools, garbage pickup and other municipal services. Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed eliminating property taxes without suggesting a way to replace the money to provide municipal services.

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I would suppose the City of Lake Worth will stop moaning, blaming everything on the Governor and figure it all out. Perhaps they can reduce waste in certain departments thus cutting a lot of very expensive overhead. At the moment, they don't know how to fix a sidewalk without cutting down an old Oak tree.

And when you talk to a Realtor, you are told that property values are going down.