Another hearing has been set in Bartow by the County Commission for an ordinance to eliminate a longstanding requirement that public notices and legal ads concerning county decision-making appear in newspapers.
An ordinance under consideration by the commissioners on Tuesday would change the requirement and require the notices to be published on a publicly accessible website run by the county.
Online publication would be in lieu of newspaper publication as it is now required by Polk County ordinances and other policies, the agenda items says.
Historically, governmental boards have been required to purchase notices in local newspapers to announce upcoming meetings that involve things such as budgets, taxes, and land-use changes, among others.
In 2022, legislation (HB 7049) signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis loosened that requirement, allowing governmental bodies the option of publishing notices on websites.
“Proponents have made repeated attempts over the years to repeal the newspaper requirement for legal notices, arguing that local governments shouldn’t be forced to subsidize the papers,” the Florida Bar Association said. It added, “Newspaper publishers have warned that the loss of advertising revenue associated with the notices will further hurt the struggling industry.”