![]() This is an easy blog that I agonized for hours to get just right. Today’s subject won’t be surprised by the attention. We talked about it some to know ahead of time what I can get away with. There’s much to unpack here, as you’ll see in a minute. ![]() Warning off the bat: Going full government geek today. The County Commission had its budget public hearing Wednesday morning to set the 2024-25 tax rate. I decided to attend, taking notes on my phone looking for any nuggets of interest. I found quite a few. — First, the official stuff. It’s a $132.7 million general fund budget that keeps the tax rate the same as this year: 8.9302 mills. ![]() Ramblings from Tuesday’s County Commission meeting that I admittedly watched from the comfort of Just Wright Citrus World Headquarters on the shores of Big Lake Henderson: — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Free State of Florida” has snagged another victim. A woman approached commissioners Tuesday with a terrible tale of woe since relocating a year ago from the “Communist State of New York” (her words) to the Sunshine State. ![]() Happy Tuesday! Feeling around 40% healthy, so let’s just dive right in. “Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts),” a book that Commissioner Diana Finegan labeled pornography, is banned from the Citrus County Library System. “Jack” was one of 26 books temporarily removed from the shelves while Library Director Adam Chang reviews them for appropriateness. A Floral City man wants all 26 bumped because their subject matter is of the LGTBQ variety. ![]() When it rains, it pours. Spent the weekend in bed with the stomach flu from hell. That means my idea for today’s blog is out the window, as is my second idea. Both of those ideas require a mindset I can’t generate at the moment. You know what that means: Scenic photo of the Withlacoochee River and random thoughts. ![]() Good morning, Citrus County. As week’s go this one was terrible. Buddy’s loss is devastating, worse than I could ever imagine. He was so much a part of my life and this blog for the last six months, it’s inconceivable that he’s gone so quickly. On Thursday afternoon, I packed up Buddy’s remaining food and took it to the Animal Shelter. Afterward, I sat in my car and sobbed. ![]() So, you wanna be a judge. Cool job, right? The robe, the gavel. The judge has his/her own entrance into the courtroom. Everyone knows the judge. There are two ways to get hired on the local or regional level. ![]() Let’s see how this goes. Going to be honest: By late Tuesday afternoon, I’d given up any hope of stringing together any cogent message today. That makes it a rambling thought day: — What I’m not doing this week: Watching the Republican National Convention. Don’t take it personally, GOPers. I won’t watch the Democratic convention either. ![]() Good Monday morning, friends. No politics today. It is with the deepest profound sadness that I report the passing of my beloved Buddy. It happened very fast, and it breaks my heart to know he suffered at the end. He’d been nothing but his gregarious self. We had a fun Fourth. I noticed an uptick in thirst the last week or so, and actually planned to call the vet Monday morning. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
July 2024
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