State lawmakers brief Tamarac on session wins; local lobbyist warns on property‑tax ballot measure

Representative Lisa Dunkley updated the Tamarac City Commission on the recently closed legislative session, saying her office secured $750,000 toward a phase‑1 water‑main and fire‑protection improvement and roughly $994,000 for uterine‑fibroids data and research.

Dunkley told the commission that the water project is intended to replace undersized and deteriorated cast‑iron mains and hydrants, improve fire flow standards, reduce main breaks and boil‑water notices, and limit unplanned road closures. "This project will assist the city with replacing undersized and deteriorated cast iron water mains and hydrants to improve the coverage and restoring pavements," she said.

Dunkley also highlighted a home‑hardening tax relief package she said was included in the state’s tax package that she estimated would represent about $45 million over three years to subsidize items such as impact windows and doors.

On the contentious property‑tax ballot measure, both Dunkley and Ron Book, the city’s lobbyist, described a fast‑moving special session that left local officials with limited time to vet impacts. "We were hauled into session on Monday at 1:30 p.m. and asked to vote the next morning on a bill that was not vetted the way it normally is," Dunkley said, asking residents to allow lawmakers to “go back and rework this bill.”

Ron Book echoed concerns about the measure’s unintended effects, saying it could constrain what local governments are allowed to spend residents’ tax dollars on and that the claim local first‑response services would be ‘‘held harmless’’ under the amendment is not accurate. "If you like the quality of life that you have in this city, then vote no," Book told the commission; he said the ballot language and downstream rules leave many unanswered questions about what local governments could and could not fund.

Why it matters: The projects the city requested and the funding the delegation won are explicit deliverables that can be programmed into capital work. At the same time, a constitutional change limiting ad‑valorem revenue could reshape local budgeting and program choices if voters approve the ballot measure. City staff and commissioners said they will continue to provide residents with educational forums and workshops before any ballot action.

What’s next: Dunkley and lobbyist staff said they will stay in close contact with city staff to coordinate project implementation and to provide residents additional details as the state rules and implementing language are clarified before the November ballot.