BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
The state’s largest ever budget includes millions of dollars for local projects.
Florida legislators met in overtime to approve a $112 billion budget. This is $12 billion higher than the governor proposed and 10% larger than the current budget.
While ready for his signature, Gov. Ron DeSantis has the authority to veto line items from the budget, which could affect which local projects get funded.
Local leaders have worked with Rep. Bobby Payne and Sen. Jennifer Bradley to express the need for projects that will improve the quality of life here as well as encourage economic development and growth.
One of those projects is already underway. In the state’s proposed budget for 2022-23 is the latest allocation toward the construction of Bradford County School District’s new K-7 school. The legislature included nearly $16.7 million toward completing the project by fall 2023.
The Bradford County Fairgrounds is in line for $3 million for the reconstruction and hardening of the fairgrounds as an emergency evacuation shelter. The fairgrounds board borrowed against future state allocations to advance the project, but prior requests have been vetoed.
Starke also has three allocations in the budget, including $1 million for wastewater tank improvement and $750,000 for the rehabilitation of wastewater lines. The police department could also receive $207,500 for roof and electrical work at the police station.
Union County could receive some large allocations from the state as well, including $3 million for a new safety complex. The budget also contains allocations in the amount of $875,000 to upgrade Lake Butler’s drinking water tank, $750,000 for a county agriculture education building and $415,000 for enhanced courthouse security.
Raises for state employees and more
Every state employee is set to receive a 5.38% pay raise under the new budget to account for inflation, and no state worker will make less than $15 an hour if the proposed budget is approved. The proposed minimum wage for correctional officers is $20 an hour.
The budget for K-12 education is $24.3 billion, $250 million of which is earmarked to increase teacher salaries. The goal is still to increase minimum teacher pay to $47,500. Half of the money will be spent toward that goal while the rest will increase the salaries of veteran teachers.
The legislature will use federal stimulus dollars to pay for a monthlong gas tax holiday in October. Additional stimulus dollars will pay for construction and maintenance at state colleges and universities ($1.4 billion), the expansion of broadband internet ($400 million) and grants for local government climate resiliency projects ($200 million).
The state plans to construct a new 4,500-bed prison for $645 million as well.
Credit for the record spending plan is due to the billions of dollars in federal stimulus as well as the growth in tax revenue coming out of the pandemic.
Police recruitment bill gives more spending power to sheriffs
A bill approved by the Florida House and Senate will provide a $5,000 signing bonus for new recruits, a $1,000 bonus for those who transfer from a job out of state and a $1,000 scholarship for law enforcement trainees.
It even provides a $10,000 or $25,000 benefit for officers adopting a child within the state welfare system, with the amount tied to whether the child has special needs.
It also raises the base salary for sheriffs by $5,000.
More importantly, a late amendment to the bill gives sheriff’s more authority over spending in their county commission-approved budgets. Sheriff’s will be able to transfer funds allocated for one purpose and use them for another without commission approval.
If signed into law, this would undo the Florida Supreme Court’s prior support of Alachua County when Sheriff Sadie Darnell transferred money to fund employee raises.
Detractors of the bill said it gave sheriff’s too much unchecked power — the ability to spend money meant for one purpose for another without oversight. Supporters said sheriffs should be able to do the job they were elected to do.
