Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes $5 million for Volusia County projects out of Florida budget
One item that survived: a nearly $20 million appropriation to buy a partially submerged parcel on the Intracoastal Waterway in New Smyrna Beach, despite the Volusia County Property Appraiser's Office valuing it at $174,750. Before the state buys it, the parcel will be appraised, so the state likely will not spend the full $19.7 million appropriated for it.
No Flagler County appropriations were vetoed. Here's a look at some of the Volusia County projects that were wiped out, totaling more than $5.1 million:
$1.5 million from DeBary, which proposed to use the funding to improve stormwater management after Hurricanes Debbie, Helene and Milton caused more than 30 homes in the city to flood and four major roads to collapse. Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach, and Rep. Richard Gentry, R-Astor, made the request.
$900,000 for Orange City to construct a hardened fire station that can "withstand extreme weather related events that the current manufactured home is not rated to withstand," according to the request from Gentry. While Gentry had asked for the full amount, Wright requested half, or $450,000.
$750,000 from a Daytona Beach Police Department Training Facility. Wright and Rep. Bill Partington, R-Ormond Beach, initially asked for $1.5 million to cover nearly one-third of the project's total cost. The city described the project as "a quality facility for law enforcement to perform required training for certification and other purposes," helping to reduce a backlog in training, according to the request form.
$500,000 for Ormond Beach to do a stormwater analysis, as requested by Sen. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, and Partington. Some 1,200 residences within a 500-acre area has experienced flooding where stormwater infrastructure is more than 50 years old. The city's stormwater master plan has identified the area as a top priority for study and improvement, according to Leek's request.
$500,000 for Ponce Inlet to replace its fire station, which it describes as "outdated, located in a flood zone next to wetlands, vulnerable to future flooding and sea-level rise and inadequate" to meet community needs. The money would have been used to start the planning and design phase, according to a request form from Wright and Rep. Chase Tramont.
$375,000 from a Deltona project, pumping of the Lake Theresa basin prior to hurricane season. Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, made the request, which asked for funding in response to more than 17 inches of floodwater during Hurricane Milton.
$225,000 for Lake Helen, which had "significant flooding" during recent hurricanes. The money, requested by Wright and Barnaby, would have been used for planning and design of stormwater improvements.
$187,500 for Lake Helen's City Hall upgrades. The 109-year-old building has a leaky roof, mold and rat infestation, and the city has a $750,000 plan to fix it. Wright and Barnaby had asked for $375,000.
$75,682 for Stetson University's Brain Fitness Academy, a cognitive rehabilitation program for older adults living with dementia or cognitive defects. Barnaby initially requested more than $150,000 to increase staffing at the academy, where more frequent programs would be delivered for the cognitive program and to support care partners.
$100,000 for the Volusia Free Clinic, run by Volusia Volunteers in Medicine, a nonprofit that provides free health care to uninsured adults who earn 300% or less of federal poverty level. Partington had requested $110,000 to help fund medical office manager's salary with $30,000, plus funds to lease a facility and pay for patient imaging lab fees, medical supplies and other costs.
$12,500 each for Daytona Beach Shores and Holly Hill, which intended to use the funds to purchase mechanized sandbag fillers for residents.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona, DeBary, Orange City, Ormond projects cut from Florida budget
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