If you want to understand why county associations fight so aggressively against property tax reform, you have to understand how they are funded. These organizations present themselves as neutral, educational, or supportive bodies that “help counties serve residents.” But their financial structure tells a very different story.

Here’s the short version:

The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) and the Small County Coalition (SCC) are funded by taxpayers — indirectly, but unmistakably.

And that funding is used to influence state policy in ways that often protect county revenue, not taxpayers.

Below is a clear breakdown of how the system works.

1. Counties Pay Membership Dues Using Public Money

Every county in Florida pays annual dues to the Florida Association of Counties.

These dues are not symbolic. They are:

• budgeted

• approved

• paid out of county operating funds

And those operating funds come from taxpayers.

The same is true for the Small County Coalition.

Small counties pay dues using public money, and participation is treated as a standard county expense - not an optional one.

In other words:

Taxpayers fund counties → counties fund FAC and SCC.

2. Those Dues Fund Lobbyists

FAC and SCC use membership dues to operate as full‑scale political advocacy organizations. Their activities include:

• hiring lobbyists

• running legislative advocacy programs

• producing policy papers

• organizing political strategy

• influencing state legislation

These lobbyists are not elected by the public.

They are not accountable to voters.

Yet they speak in Tallahassee as if they represent “local government.”

In reality, they represent county governments, not residents.

3. Counties Use Taxpayer Dollars to Lobby Against Taxpayer Interests

This is the part most people never see.

When FAC or SCC lobby against property tax elimination or other state‑level reforms, they are:

• using taxpayer money

• to lobby the Legislature

• to protect county revenue

• against the interests of taxpayers who want relief

It creates a closed loop:

1. Taxpayers fund counties

2. Counties fund FAC and SCC

3. FAC and SCC fund lobbyists

4. Lobbyists fight to preserve county revenue

5. Taxpayers have no direct say in any of it

This is why county associations push “home rule” so aggressively.

It’s not about local empowerment.

It’s about protecting the revenue streams that fund their organizations.

4. FAC and SCC Also Generate Revenue Through Conferences, Trainings, and Sponsorships

Beyond dues, these associations run a lucrative ecosystem of:

• conferences

• trainings

• workshops

• vendor expos

• sponsorship packages

These events are:

• attended by county officials

• paid for with county funds

• sponsored by vendors who want county contracts

This creates a self‑reinforcing cycle:

• counties pay associations

• associations host events

• vendors pay associations

• vendors gain access to county officials

• counties award contracts

• the cycle repeats

It is not illegal.

But it is absolutely political.

And it blurs the line between public service and institutional self‑preservation.

5. The Public Is Not Told Any of This

County associations present themselves as:

• educational

• supportive

• collaborative

• non‑political

But their core function is political advocacy.

And their funding comes from the very taxpayers whose interests they sometimes lobby against.

Most residents have no idea that:

• their county pays dues

• those dues fund lobbyists

• those lobbyists influence state tax policy

• and those positions may conflict with taxpayer priorities

The result is a system where county governments — through their associations — can exert significant influence in Tallahassee without direct voter oversight.

Why This Matters

When FAC or SCC oppose property tax elimination, they are not necessarily speaking for residents.

They are speaking for county governments — and for the revenue streams that sustain their organizations.

Understanding how these associations are funded is the first step in understanding why they take the positions they do.

Sunlight is the second step — and this is where things get muddy.

Despite being funded with public dollars, the Florida Association of Counties is not subject to Florida’s public records laws. FAC is structured as a private nonprofit, which means residents cannot request:

• financial records

• lobbying expenditures

• communications with legislators

• internal strategy documents

• vendor sponsorship agreements

• conference revenue details

In other words, taxpayers fund the organization, but taxpayers cannot see how the organization uses that money.

This lack of transparency makes it nearly impossible for the public to fully understand how much influence FAC and SCC exert in Tallahassee, or how taxpayer‑funded dues are being deployed to shape state policy.

Share with your friends all across the state and, as always, stay sharp, Wakulla!