Posted on May 10, 2019
The state budget, which has yet to be signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, presents a number of wins — and some losses — for local governments and other organizations.
Among the possible wins, the budget includes $350,000 for sewer expansion on West 5th Street in West Augustine.
City Manager John Regan thanked state Reps. Cyndi Stevenson and Paul Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson for getting the sewer request in the budget. But the matter isn’t decided yet.
“We’re just waiting,” Regan said. “It’s not time to celebrate until the governor signs the budget.”
The entire state budget is about $91.1 billion, and the governor has 15 days upon receiving the budget to veto items, according to the News Service of Florida. DeSantis said he plans to cut the budget, according to the article.
The city’s request for state funding to help protect its wastewater treatment plant from flooding did not make the cut, Regan said.
Also in St. Augustine, the state budget includes more than $1 million for efforts to preserve and strengthen the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, now part of Flagler College, against storms and other disasters.
St. Johns County did well during the session, County Commissioner Henry Dean said at this week’s Commission meeting.
“We got quite a few good projects approved — to the tune of millions of dollars,” Dean said.
Some funding in the budget for efforts in St. Johns County:
Source: staugustine.com
