What Florida GOP's budget truce means for Tampa Bay projects
Why it matters: GOP lawmakers blew past the 60-day deadline, dragging out the process with threats, insults and 45 days of overtime. Now, it's up to Gov. Ron DeSantis to decide whether to sign it.
In the meantime, here's how Tampa Bay's priorities fared.
🚦 Partial win for Gulf Boulevard: The budget sets aside $750,000 of the $1 million requested to upgrade dozens of traffic signal cabinets to withstand storm surges along flood-prone Gulf Boulevard.
The project aims to keep traffic signals on during storms for the 100,000 residents within Pinellas County's beach communities.
🏖️ Win for Safety Harbor: Both chambers agreed to earmark the $1.14 million needed to repair Safety Harbor's pier after Hurricanes Debby and Helene wrecked it.
The state House's earlier proposal offered half that.
🚸 Win for Harmony Heights: The budget allocates the $750,000 requested to better protect pedestrians, cyclists and children in Harmony Heights, a low-income neighborhood in Pinellas Park.
House lawmakers had also tried to cut that allocation in half.
🔌 Win for generator upgrades: Lawmakers from Hillsborough County secured the full $3 million needed to replace aging generators at two water treatment plants and two wastewater lift stations.
The facilities collectively provide drinking water and wastewater services to more than 250,000 residents.
🏫 Partial win for USF's AI College: The budget sets aside half of the $20 million requested for the University of South Florida's College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.
🌉 Win for bridge fix: Lawmakers agreed to allocate the $750,000 requested to replace a deteriorating bridge near 55-plus community Sun City Center, which saw an average of 6,450 vehicles per day in 2023.
🌀 Loss for tax holidays: This year's hurricane season began without the usual sales-tax holiday for disaster preparedness. And if the governor signs this budget, don't hold your breath for one.
In lieu of the two 14-day sales-tax holidays on dozens of supplies that DeSantis proposed, lawmakers opted for a permanent, year-round sales tax exemption on fewer items.
Covered are: six sizes of batteries, smoke detectors and alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, gas and diesel fuel tanks, certain portable generators, tarpaulins, and ground anchor systems.
Missing are the pet supplies covered under last year's exemption, which included wet and dry food, manual can openers, food and water bowls, cat litter pans, leashes, collars, and more.
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