Published June 26, 2026 at 3:36 PM EDT

Property tax cuts

Florida voters will decide in November whether to give homeowners a bigger tax break.

The ballot referendum would increase the value of a home or condo that is exempt from property taxes, as long as the owner lives in the house or condo.

If approved by voters, that homestead exemption would jump from $50,000 to $150,000 in January and then $250,000 a year later.

But some local government officials warn that without property tax revenue some local services could be jeopardized.

Guest:

• John Gunter, Mayor of Cape Coral. 

Increasing healthspan  

Living longer is one thing. Living healthier and longer is another.

There’s a regional effort to expand the healthspan of Southwest Florida residents by seven years.

What is a healthspan? It’s like a lifespan but it’s how long you live in good health.

Guest:

• Shawn Felton, Dean of Marieb College of Health & Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

Caloosahatchee conditions

It’s been eight years since Florida experienced its worst algae crisis to date.

While some protections were put in place to improve water quality and management, some environmentalists warn they don’t go far enough.

Last February, the Caloosahatchee River had one of its earliest outbreaks of blue-green algae.

Guest:

• Tom Bayles, senior environmental reporter for WGCU.