Jennifer Hunt Murty

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted April 7 to hire a lobbying firm to negotiate with the state over new environmental regulations that county officials say are financially devastating and logistically impossible to achieve. Commissioners approved a one-year, $108,000 contract with Tallahassee-based Ballard Partners. The firm, which will be paid in $9,000 monthly […] To access this entire article, you must Become an Ocala Gazette Member or . Already a member? Click here to log in.

After a host of bills were filed during this session of the Florida Legislature that would erode local control of development across the state and open hundreds of thousands of agricultural acres to developers without local approval, advocates for preserving communities’ rights to choose how they grow are pushing back against legislators, citing a host of reasons these changes would have negative results, ranging from quality of life concerns to potential impacts on national defense.

Gov. Ron DeSantis holds press conference at Marion County Sheriff’s Office on April 2, 2025. [Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette] Posted April 2, 2025 | By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on April 2 to hand out recruitment bonuses to new deputies.