Florida lawmakers have okayed a $114.5 billion state budget. Now, it’s up to the governor to decide what stays and what goes. Gov. Ron DeSantis has until July 1, when the new fiscal year begins, to use his line-item veto power.
Until then, here are some of the highlights currently earmarked for rural counties in North Florida's Panhandle and Big Bend.
Funding is listed alphabetically by county. The budget also sets aside funds for rural counties in general. Those items are listed at the bottom.
Calhoun County
$300,000 to Blountstown High School Track Restoration
$1,500,000 to Calhoun Liberty Hospital to restore full inpatient capacity
Franklin County
$15,000 to ZeroEyes AI Firearm Detection
$216,965 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$1,202,088.24 to Franklin Work Camp Lease Purchase
$150,000 St. George Island - Bob Sikes Cut Cost Share
$295,000 to Franklin County Sylvester Williams Park Lighting
$104,900 to Franklin County Comprehensive Plan Update
$1,000,000 to St. George Island Ladder Fire Truck
$624,791 to Alligator Point Volunteer Fire Department Fire Truck
Gadsden County
$4,000,000 to Tallahassee State College Gadsden Center Expansion - Phase 2
$17,958,511 to PreK-8 School Special Facility Construction Account (Year 4)
$100,000 to Gadsden Adults with Disabilities Program
$1,098,648 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$100,000 to Gadsden County Correctional Facility In lieu of ad valorem taxation for contractor-operated correctional facilities
$350,000 to Gadsden County Emergency Operations Center and Public Safety Complex Final Stage
Gulf
$4,000,000 to Gulf Coast State College for HVAC and Other Infrastructure Improvements
$35,000 to Gulf Adults with Disabilities Program
$218,832 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$398,000 to Life Management Center of Northwest Florida - Gulf County Outpatient Mental Health Services
$1,000,000 to the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch and Training Center
$36,740 to the Gulf County Veteran and First Responder Service Dog Training Center
$423,000 to the Gulf County Veteran and First Responder Service Dog Training Center
$600,000 to the Gulf County Overstreet Fire Department Fire Tanker
Holmes
$1,250,000 to Holmes County Jail and Rehabilitation Expansion
$175,000 to Holmes County Emergency Response and Recovery Equipment
Jackson
$1,019,247 to Jackson Adults with Disabilities Program
$129,384 to Jackson County School District JROTC Startup
$245,506 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$750,000 to Jackson Hospital - Oncology and Infusion Center Expansion
$1,555,250 to Graceville Correctional Facility Lease Purchase
$453,400 to Jackson County School Board for Agricultural Promotion and Education Facilities
$875,000 to Jackson County Fire Rescue Station Hardening
Jefferson
$217,097 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$2,250,000 to Jefferson County Jail Facility Hardening and Renovation
$375,000 to Expansion of the Jefferson County Emergency Operations Center
Liberty
$120,000 to Liberty County School District for Window Hardening
$229,885 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$150,000 to Liberty County Comprehensive Plan Update Funding
$750,000 to Liberty County Industrial Land Acquisition & Site Development Initiative
$549,900 to Liberty County Commercial Fire Tanker
$350,000 to Liberty County Fire Rescue SLERS P25 Communications
Madison
$216,087 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$1,000,000 to Madison County Sheriff’s Office Consolidated Emergency Communications Center Relocation
$2,000,000 to Madison County Agricultural Complex
$1,000,000 to Madison Water and Sewer Line Replacement
Okaloosa
$75,000 to Okaloosa County Afterschool STEM Enrichment
$350,000 to Okaloosa County Schools Classroom Technology
$2,938,989 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$41,000 to Bridgeway Center - Okaloosa County Forensic Pre-Trial and Behavioral Wellness Enhancement
$325,000 to Okaloosa-Walton Mental Health and Substance Abuse Pre-Trial Diversion Program
$15,000 to Bridgeway Center - Okaloosa County Behavioral Health Therapies & MAT Access Initiative
$9,000 to Bridgeway Center- Okaloosa County Forensic Pre-Trial and Behavioral Wellness Enhancement
$1,500,000 to Okaloosa County Shalimar Bridge Park Project
$750,000 to Okaloosa County Florida National Scenic Trail - Okaloosa County Gap Yellow River Bridge Crossing
$1,500,000 to Okaloosa County Millside Road Improvements
$1,000,000 to Okaloosa County - West Highway 98 Collector Road
Taylor
$1,357,500 to Taylor County School District - Critical Facility Needs
$42,500 to Taylor Adults with Disabilities Program
$250,000 to Taylor County School District Technology Upgrades
$3,850,082 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$750,000 to Taylor County Animal Shelter
$800,000 to Taylor County Courthouse Air Handler & Duct Replacement Project
Wakulla
$21,949,526 to Wakulla County - Wakulla High (Year 3)
$42,500 to Wakulla Adults with Disabilities Program
$220,887 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$850,000 to Wakulla Springs Remediation Research and Education
$150,000 to Wakulla Senior Center for Emergency Resiliency and Accessibility Upgrades
$329,000 to Wakulla County Senior and Community Hunger Initiative
$400,000 to Wakulla County Senior and Community Hunger Initiative
Walton
$750,000 to Walton County Seacoast Collegiate High School Dual Enrollment and Workforce Center Expansion
$1,676,238 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$325,000 to Okaloosa-Walton Mental Health and Substance Abuse Pre-Trial Diversion Program
$180,000 to North Walton Doctors Hospital Breast Screening and Treatment Program
$220,000 to North Walton Doctors Hospital Breast Screening and Treatment Program
$300,000 to Walton County - Northwest Florida Regional Agriculture Education Complex
$2,000,000 to Walton County - Hewett Bay Connector
Washington
$4,489,307 to School District Workforce Education Programs
$120,000 to Washington County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Trucks
$1,500,000 to Washington County Jail Repairs and Rehabilitation
$1,000,000 to Washington County Old Shores Fire Station
$400,000 to Washington County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Communications Tower Upgrades
Rural
$1,500,000 to Florida Rural Digital Literacy to help "close the digital divide" rural students may face by offering online curriculum that teaches skills in artificial intelligence, keyboarding, online safety and digital citizenship, visual mapping, computational thinking, and coding.
$1,872,875 to the Agency for Health Care Administration for the purpose of implementing the Florida Rural Health Transformation Program
$5,000,000 to the Foster and Family Support Grant Program to "support the recruitment of foster and adoptive families... and to strengthen local capacity to support foster, kinship, and families caring for vulnerable children in underserved and rural communities."
$500,000 to DISC Village to Sustain Opioid Residential Treatment in Rural North Florida
$375,000 to DISC Village to Increase Capacity for Opioid Residential Treatment in Rural North Florida Capital Region
$100,000 to Expanding Rural Access to Community-Based Palliative Care in the Big Bend Region
$10,000,000 for the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program
$2,000,000 to Feeding Rural North Florida
$250,000 to Florida Insider: Rural Engagement and Access to Government "This program will serve as a vital communication bridge between state government and Floridians in rural and fiscally constrained areas throughout the state. This program will ensure that key legislative developments, policy changes, and state-level decisions are delivered in an accessible manner. The materials and programming will be delivered in a digital, multilingual manner and will aid Floridians with language barriers in remaining informed and engaged in the civic process."
$5,000,000 in recurring funds for roads and transportation impediments, storm water systems, water and wastewater facilities, and telecommunication and broadband facilities