Gov. Ron DeSantis' record-high budget came at the expense of over $30 million in vetoed projects in South Florida — in areas such as drainage, infrastructure and opioid treatment.
In a $116.5 billion budget, up from $109.9 billion last year, the governor’s line-item vetoes totaled $511 million dollars. At last week's signing event, when faced by the press, DeSantis gave no details of the projects he eliminated, while declaring that the budget was "in fantastic shape."
"The state's going in a great direction. You're not going to see us have the type of problems that these other states have with fiscal insolvency, driving people away,” he said.
Once the vetoes — down from $3.13 billion last year — were announced, it emerged that environmental programs across the state were the governor's biggest target.
DeSantis axed $100 million from a rural and family lands program, which pays farmers to limit their land use to preserve its conservation value. He also vetoed a $30.8 million request to acquire Pasco County’s Kirkland Ranch for conservation.
In South Florida, among the costlier projects cut were $1.5 million for would-be Palm Beach County infrastructure improvements and $1.5 million dollars for a project to fund the design and construction of the Biscayne-Everglades Greenway trail in Homestead.
Senator Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, said in a statement that he was appreciative of t he projects that were awarded funding in the budget — but underscored the sharp effects of the governor's pen.
READ MORE: DeSantis signs a record Florida budget and vetoes millions in local projects
The cuts, he said were "a small drop in the bucket to those wielding the budget axe, but an ocean of dollars to those dependent on the financial help."
Kasey Denny, the legislative affairs director for Palm Beach County, said they were disappointed about not getting more money for infrastructure improvements.
But she also said she was grateful that funding for projects such as Green Cay Park, at $3 million, and $750,000 to restore the vacant United States Coast Guard Station and JFK bunker on Peanut Island was approved.
“We're going to keep working on this in the future and we're hopeful that we'll introduce these next year and get funded again,” she said.
Other local projects vetoed by DeSantis included $1 million for drainage improvements in Juno Beach and $1.2 million for drainage and traffic improvements in Miami.
Representative Ashley V. Gantt, D-Miami, sponsored four projects in the budget — three of which were cut. The only one approved was for an after-school and weekend rehabilitation program for youth with mental health or substance use disorders.
“The Governor vetoing a majority of Democrats’ projects is an indication that he does not understand the concept of serving all Floridians, even in blue districts,” Gantt said in a statement.
Other notable cuts were more than $700,000 for efforts in Miami-Dade aimed at increasing access to opioid treatment, and $160,000 in funding for a Black History Month celebration in Orlando called 1619 Fest.
Representative Rita Harris, D-Orlando, called the vetoes “irresponsible.”
“Instead of investing in Florida's economy, Governor DeSantis has withheld over $500 million from Floridians in need of support simply because of Governor DeSantis’ political ambitions,” she said in a statement.
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