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State Rep. Robin Bartleman secures drainage and autism funding, warns of property‑tax amendment impacts
Summary
State Rep. Robin Bartleman told Southwest Ranches council she helped secure $170,188 for Rolling Oaks drainage work and $2 million for an assisted‑living project for adults with autism, and cautioned that a proposed property‑tax constitutional amendment could create large, multi‑year revenue shortfalls for local governments and special districts.
State Representative Robin Bartleman updated the Town Council on state funding and a proposed constitutional property‑tax amendment, saying Tallahassee has signed appropriations that include $170,188 for Rolling Oaks drainage improvements and $2,000,000 to develop an assisted‑living project for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"We secured a $170,188 for the Southwest Ranches Rolling Oaks drainage improvement," Bartleman said, describing Rolling Oaks as a one‑way‑in, one‑way‑out neighborhood prone to flooding. She told the council the drainage project aims to reduce ponding on 178th Avenue and improve water quality in primary and secondary canals. Bartleman also outlined $328,000 for South Broward Drainage District pump upgrades and said the $2 million autism project will provide long‑term housing and vocational supports for adults in the region.
Bartleman spent the bulk of her report on a statewide property‑tax proposal that would add homestead exemptions in the first two years and require a 2027 implementing plan for broader elimination. "The bill is the 1st year your residents here in Southwest Ranches will have an additional $150,000 homestead exemption," she said, then warned that later phases and an ultimate elimination could reduce county and municipal revenue substantially. She and council members discussed likely effects on public safety funding, drainage districts and hospital districts, and the need for voter education about potential tradeoffs.
The council thanked Bartleman for the appropriations and asked staff to circulate the tax‑proposal materials she offered. Bartleman said she will make her presentation available and help coordinate local outreach.
