WAFC Local News – September 23, 2026, 8:06 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Cluiston City Commissioners are proving their budget. The millage will be just over six mills. They will not be raising property taxes this year. They did increase spending by about two million, but much of that is coming from reserves. They will increase the fire assessment. Commissioner Molly Gardner praised the budget that included no tax hike. I’m just glad that we are going with the rollback rate and we did not stay at the higher rate that we proposed originally. I’d like to commend the finance and the city managers hard work on bringing in a budget that we could keep the rollback rate. Vice Mayor Hillary Highslope wanted to give the fire department what they requested. If this is what the fire department needs to to get the job done, then this is what the fire department needs to get the job done. I will acknowledge that it is far cheaper for the residents of Cluiston than for us to stand up a paid fire department. She still would like to get money from Western Palm Beach County and even Glades County for calls they make in those service areas. Arts of the Inland asking for a lease extension of facilities in LaBelle. There is no public art in LaBelle. That’s Stella Luckey addressing the city commission. She says she’d like the city to keep supporting them. I wish that every artist, every non-artist, every business who sees a need for this mission to continue. And I’m going to reach our mission next. Will join forces with me in the ever growing community of Arts of the Inland. They’ve been adding more art in LaBelle like murals, and their gallery is always open to the public. Pahokee honored Maddie Butler on her 101st birthday and Bertha Hunter on her 100th birthday. Everybody here just about know me, Bertha Hunter from Sandcut and up to Canal Point and on here. I never have lived nowhere else besides Pahokee. So I don’t know nowhere else but Pahokee. They’re planning a town hall meeting on Thursday, October 1st from 6 to 7 30 p.m. to discuss property tax reform. Amendment three and how it might impact Pahokee. It’ll be held at the Eddie Rose Gymnasium. Buckhead Ridge and other mosquito control districts will be hit hard if property tax reform is approved by voters. Mosquito control leaders say they are essential public service programs. They reduce the spread of mosquito borne disease and make life livable in the Sunshine State. Buckhead Ridge collects about thirty five thousand per year to spray for mosquitoes and take other measures. Thirty seven and a half percent of the property in Buckhead Ridge is homesteaded. There’s also mosquito control in Moorhaven. It is going to be a significant impact to mosquito control. Vice president of the Florida Mosquito Control Association, Cherry Burrows, says they help the economy and tourism by reducing the mosquito populations. He says many people create the mosquito problem at home. They can create their own problem at home by not dumping their containers or having standing water around and to protect themselves. She notes the mosquitoes in Lake Okeechobee are half as bad as they could be. Most of our permanent water bodies, such as the lake, will have fish and other organisms that will feed on the immature mosquito larvae. So the lake itself is not too much of a problem. It’s just those surrounding areas that might get flooded from time and time depend on increased water level from rainfall or from runoff. A 31 year old Bill Glade man, Roger Roach, are fleeing and eluding at high speed and burglary, along with reckless driving and resisting arrest. Deputy spotted him speeding on Gator Boulevard and tried to pull him over. The wild chase turned on Avenue K and the vehicle drove between several occupied residences. He then fled into an apartment. The resident said Roa, who is unfamiliar to them, entered the apartment without permission and tried to hide in a closet. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).