Polk County feels governor's vetoes, but funding for Polk State Northeast campus escapes
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed multiple allocations for Polk County in this year’s budget, but some major projects escaped his deletions.
DeSantis signed the $116.5 billion state budget on Wednesday, and his office later released a list of hundreds of line-item vetoes totaling about $1 billion.
Polk State College received mixed news. DeSantis vetoed an allocation of $1.5 million for the renovation of a 1980s-era building on its Lakeland campus that houses the school’s nursing and respiratory care programs.
But DeSantis spared a line item dedicating $8.1 million to the college for construction of its Northeast Ridge campus in Haines City. That was the largest single budget item for Polk County.
Last year, DeSantis vetoed an allocation of $16.2 million for the project. Polk State plans to build a 75,000-square-foot facility to house classrooms, laboratories, offices and student support spaces, according to a funding request from Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland. Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City, submitted a matching appeal.
In her request, Burton wrote that Polk State would seek another $20.4 million in future legislative sessions.
“Polk State College is incredibly thankful to Governor Ron DeSantis for his support of quality higher education and workforce development, which is illustrated by the inclusion of this funding for our Haines City-Davenport Campus, which will respond directly to workforce education needs in the most rapidly growing region of Polk County,” Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said in an emailed statement. “The great strides we have made as a community to bring this longtime dream closer to fruition takes the support and dedication of many.”
The veto list brought disappointment for Fort Meade, as DeSantis vetoed three of the city’s allocations. He blocked $2.8 million for a wastewater and effluent disposal project, $1 million for improvements to 143 manholes and $100,000 for effluent pumps.
But Fort Meade will received $1.5 million for the reconstruction of its fire station.
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The governor crossed out a designation of $3 million for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, intended for enhancements to its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program. But DeSantis allowed a $5.7 million allocation for a Student Achievement Center at Florida Poly to remain, after he vetoed a larger amount for the project last year.
DeSantis struck two budget items directed to Polk County: $562,500 for a firefighter/EMS rehab apparatus unit and $240,000 to replace a portable generator.
The governor deleted money for two local road projects: $600,000 for the extension and improvement of Robinson Road in Haines City and $560,000 for improvements to the North Lake Shipp Drive corridor in Winter Haven.
Auburndale will lose out on an allotted $1.215 million for sewer infrastructure improvements at its regional wastewater treatment plant. The vetoes also included $500,000 that the Legislature had approved for Lakeland Regional Health to expand primary care access for Medicaid patients at its Morrell Clinic.
Frostproof will miss an expected $817,740 for a high-service pump station. DeSantis also vetoed $500,000 to Bartow for telemetry system wastewater lift stations and $1.25 million for a sludge drying bed at its water treatment plant.
The governor negated $1.125 million for the final phase of a wastewater treatment facility at Warner University in Lake Wales. He also vetoed two allocations for Southeastern University in Lakeland: $750,000 for a trades startup project and $500,000 for the SEU Link Program’s dormitories and transitional housing.
DeSantis struck an allocation of $500,000 for improvements to RCMA Mulberry Community Academy’s K-8 campus in Mulberry. The school serves children of migrant workers.
Among the more prominent local projects that survived potential vetoes:
$12 million for the widening of County Road 557 near Lake Alfred.
$2.5 million for construction of the North Ridge Trail, a two-lane road connecting Deen Still Road and Sand Mine Road in the Four Corners.
$2.5 million for Heartland Biztown and Finance Park, a facility to host Polk County Public Schools’ entrepreneurial education program. DeSantis vetoed funding for the project last year.
$3 million to Davenport for new water and sewer lines needed to accommodate the extension of Power Line Road, and another $4 million for the relocation of Lewis Mathews Sports Complex.
$900,000 for the Peace River Center’s domestic violence shelter and $425,000 for its community mobile support team.
$500,000 for the expansion of the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Gov. DeSantis deletes funding for raft of Polk County projects
