The Rurbane Economist

Gulf County, Florida is in the midst of economic change and no small amount of turmoil.

The effects of the national economic crises (mortgage market seizure, foreclosures, homebuilding decline, energy costs, pending overall inflation) are being felt keenly and acutely. 

The state of Florida's climate of tax cuts, education cuts and ad valorem structure is contributing to Gulf County's own crisis originating in excessive ad valorem taxing and government expansion without effective increases in services. 

The sense that something is going very wrong and is going to get worse is palpable even to the least interested. 

The net result is real property values plummeting, tax revenue evaporating, reductions in government services and a stall in private investments.

A grassroots movement was undertaken to examine the underlying economic issues and fundamentals, and to analyze available data, and recommend to the county at large what should be done.  These articles are the culmination of the effort by many - leading to an "Economic Summit" on May 1st, 2008.