BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
Starke Police Department is getting a new roof, and that’s one of several local appropriations for the area that made into the 2022-23 state budget
The nearly $110 billion budget is a record breaker, even after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $3 billion in proposed spending. All of the allocations intended for Bradford and Union counties, fought for by local leaders and legislators, survived the veto process.
The state budget includes the latest $16.7 million allocation for Bradford County School District’s new K-7 school. The campus is already under construction and slated to open in fall of 2023.
Bradford County Fairgrounds received another $3 million for its reconstruction project, which includes hardening the facility as an emergency evacuation shelter.
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.
Allocations for Union County included $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
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.
A bill was also approved 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.
The state has also set aside money to provide for up to $5,000 signing bonuses for new or out-of-state law enforcement officers who join policing agencies in Florida. Existing officers will also see a raise.
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.
