A new report from legislative researchers could spell more bad news for Enterprise Florida. Analysts say the agency is lagging behind similar programs in other states.
Lawmakers refused to appropriate a quarter billion dollars for the state’s business development agency Enterprise Florida last year. It was a strong rebuke for what Governor Rick Scott sees as an essential tool in attracting jobs to the state. But a new report from the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, or OPPAGA, suggests Florida has been less effective than competitor states like Texas at growing target industries over the past decade. The report also shows private companies continue to fall far short of matching state funds as Florida law requires for the so-called public private partnership.
