Under the leadership of Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican multimillionaire elected in 2010, and the Republican-controlled legislature, state government today exerts less control and oversight over Florida’s growth, by design, than was true in recent decades.
In 2011, they eliminated the agency designed to keep tabs on excessive or unruly growth, and discarded a landmark growth-management law that forced developers to consider the impact of their projects on public amenities like parks and roads. They shifted most of the responsibility to local governments, many of which are traditionally susceptible to the financial muscle of builders and developers. Budgets for critically important water management systems were slashed. At the same time, climate change skepticism abounds.
Mr. Scott’s stance has softened in recent years as the public outcry mounted. Among other things, he has pushed for more money to help the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s largest inland lake, whose dike, designed to keep its water from flooding nearby residences, is in need of major maintenance.
But in a low-tax state, something has to give. Miami Beach, a wealthy city, has raised storm-water fees from residents to begin paying for its $400 million plan to stay dry. The city has installed pumps to push out water and has elevated some roads, a mostly successful short-term fix. The city of Miami will ask its voters in November to provide $100 million for new pumps and an upgraded storm water system.
