Florida legislators concluded a 60-day session in Tallahassee on May 5 by unanimously approving a record $117-billion budget — up by roughly $5 billion from the previous year’s approved spending plan.
Overall, the Florida Keys came away with some $27.5 million for a host of projects that address everything from water quality and renovations to construction and providing more clean drinking water.
A request by Monroe County officials for full Florida Keys Stewardship Act funding landed in the final legislative budget, with $20 million for water quality projects and $5 million for land acquisition. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget proposal included the county’s request, as did initial House and Senate spending plans. The Stewardship Act financially aids Keys municipalities in cleaning canals to produce better water quality and addressing stormwater.
It’s the third straight year that the Stewardship Act program was funded at the county’s request.
“It’s very nice to see that they funded the full amount the past couple years,” said Lisa Tennyson, county legislative affairs director.
Issues over drinking water were at the forefront in March following a series of pipe breaks in the Upper Keys. It led to a drop in the amount of water flowing through pipes per day, 26 million gallons to 22 million gallons, by Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority to try to mitigate any future breaks.
With a 40-year-old water main reaching its life, FKAA officials are digging in and planning a series of replacement projects. FKAA received some state assistance in the budget with some $10 million for a reverse osmosis facility in Marathon. FKAA can use reverse osmosis treatment plants in Stock Island and Marathon to supplement water supply during emergencies. The plants withdraw from seawater wells to produce potable water from saltwater.
Recently, county officials visited the site of the new emergency operations center in Marathon for a “topping off” celebration. A $38-million project that’s slated for completion in 2024 needed several millions to cover a cost gap — the result of increases in products. State legislators decided to approve $6.2 million to help county officials cover construction costs for a state-of-the-art building that’s designed to withstand 220-mph winds.
And $10 million was included in the final budget for Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for an artificial reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The funds were initially included in the Senate proposal, but not the House spending plan.
“It came out of the blue,” state Rep. Jim Mooney said. “It was getting no traction on the House side. That was like a bonus for us.”
A county request was included for $1.6 million to engineer, design and install 100 new moorings near Boca Chica channel and an area off Wisteria Island. And $2 million in the state budget will go to renovations of Key West’s Bruce Hall — the Monroe County School District’s future administrative headquarters. San Carlos Institute in Key West received $1.2 million for urgent structural repairs.
Two requests from Islamorada made the final budget, including $250,000 for a council chambers and public works facility and $190,000 for a new ambulance. Key Colony Beach received $1 million for city hall repairs following damage from Hurricane Irma.
After receiving no funding from the state last year, Florida Keys Area Health Education Center will obtain $975,000 for its children’s primary medical and dental health centers. The budget also included $300,000 for the Harry S. Truman Little White House’s ongoing exterior hardening and restoration project. At Pigeon Key in Marathon, $500,000 made the state budget for restoration and enhancements.
A $1-million request for Mote Marine Laboratory’s coral restoration in the Keys, brought forth by Mooney and state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, was also included in the final budget.
“It’s always a pleasure to work alongside Representative Mooney and our local stakeholders to make sure we get our priorities over the finish line,” Rodriguez said. “I am honored and humbled by our many successes this session.”
To address safety issues on Card Sound Road — the Florida Keys’ alternative thoroughfare to the 18 Mile Stretch — the state budget included $300,000 for signs and pavement markers.
Not all funding requests made the budget, however. Requests by the Florida Keys Domestic Abuse Shelter and local Habitat for Humanity organizations didn’t reach the finish line. Mooney said he pushed hard for a Key West beach renourishment pilot project that didn’t garner approval.
The budget will head to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk where he can approve or veto funding line items before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Last year, the governor cut $3.1 billion from the legislature’s $112.1 billion state budget.
