The 2016 state budget to be voted on tomorrow will include an estimated $700 million for Northwest Florida education, transportation, economic development, environmental and cultural projects.
“I am very grateful to our legislative delegation and to President Gardiner and Speaker Crisafulli for their help,” said Senator Don Gaetz, in announcing the appropriations. “Each of these items has real value to our communities and local economies and I’m pleased we were successful in getting our region’s priorities included in the final budget.”
Senator Gaetz (R-Niceville) is Senate Education Appropriations Chairman, overseeing $20 billion in early learning, K-12, college and university appropriations, and serves on the Appropriations Committee that has jurisdiction over the entire $78 billion budget.
Gaetz acknowledged that this year’s budget has been particularly difficult to negotiate because of a $1 billion reduction in payments from the federal government for hospital care for the uninsured. As a consequence, revenues that otherwise would have gone to other areas of the budget have had to be re-directed
to pay hospitals.
“Even with the huge hole caused by the Obama Administration’s hold-back of ‘low income pool’ funding, our state budget still includes over $400 million in broad-based tax cuts and support for key Northwest Florida issues,” Gaetz explained.
Education Funding at Historic High Din
On average, public school districts will see more than a 4 percent increase in total funding. Per student funding will increase by $207 to $7096.96. In 2016, Northwest Florida public schools will have more operating funds than at any time in the state’s history:
District 2014-2015 2015-2016 Increase Percent Increase
Bay $182,760,778 $192,397,298 $9,636,520 5.27%
Escambia $271,767,718 $279,884,266 $8,116,548 2.99%
Holmes $22,891,078 $23,482,745 $591,667 2.58%
Jackson $45,556,592 $46,415,727 $859,135 1.89%
Okaloosa $207,751,817 $216,506,143 $8,754,326 4.21%
Santa Rosa $172,775,066 $181,014,246 $8,239,180 4.77%
Walton $60,701,197 $63,310,668 $2,609,471 4.30%
Washington $23,113,944 $23,855,917 $741,973 3.21%
Statewide $18,904,733,636 $19,684,640,277 $779,906,641 4.13%
Holmes and Washington counties will have $18.7 million and $9.2 million, respectively, for school construction. Jackson County School District obtains $8.8 million to begin work on a new joint elementary and middle school.
Okaloosa’s STEM middle school in Valparaiso can expect, for the second year, to obtain $250,000 in supplemental funding to add to its curriculum and teaching faculty.
In addition to continuing base funding from the state, the University of West Florida will benefit from $12.4 million in supplemental program funds to meet critical workforce education needs, veterans and military support, aviation education, economic development and research and an additional $4 million in supplemental operational support.
Gulf Coast State College will continue to benefit from one of the largest per student appropriations of any state or community college.
The National Flight Academy in Pensacola is budgeted for $1.5 million to expand its instructional and lab space to serve more students.
The Florida A&M Pharmacy Education Center, located in Crestview, can plan on $1.5 million in operating funds.
Water, Beaches and Environment
“Through cooperation with our region’s representatives in the House, we were able to secure vitally needed money for projects that directly improve Northwest Florida’s environment,” Gaetz said, including:
Escambia County Innerarity Water & Sewer Upgrade $1.0 million
Jay Drinking Water System $200,000
Destin Heritage Run Drainage $500,000
Fort Walton Beach Stormwater Improvements on Golf Course Drive and Eagle Street $700,000
Chattahoochee Water Line Replacement $300,000
Okaloosa County – Eglin/Niceville Reclaim Water Project $3.0 million
Jackson County Indian Springs Sewer Extension Phase 1 $500,000
Bay County North Bay Wastewater Collection Systems Improvement $500,000
Graceville Water System Improvements $600,000
Navarre Beach Nourishment $2.75 Million
William J. “Billy Joe” Rish State Park $840,000
Transportation, Housing and Economic Development
Based on the five-year transportation workplan funded in the 2016 budget, over $62 million is appropriated for widening and improving Highway 98 in the Destin-South Walton area. Groundbreaking could occur as soon as next year on a new three-mile bridge linking Gulf Breeze and Pensacola at a cost of $505 million, all of which will be paid for by the state.
Overall, $1.9 billion is appropriated in the workplan for transportation infrastructure improvements in Northwest Florida in the next five years.
Fort Walton Beach gets $300,000 to build a center for the homeless. Building Homes for Heroes, which builds houses for returning disabled soldiers, is slated to receive $1 million, repeating its funding from last year. State affordable funding policy is being changed to provide that a portion of all state-supported housing be designed, constructed and targeted so disabled citizens, including veterans, have greater opportunities for housing assistance.
Additional funding in this area of the budget includes:
Whiting Aviation Park – Santa Rosa $1.5 million
City of Milton Riverwalk $688,173
Bonifay Memorial Field $50,000
Northwest Florida Fairgrounds $50,000
FOIL Corridor Project $1.0 million
The Heritage Park Cultural Center – FWB $250,000
Port of Panama City Industrial Basin Improvements – Bay $1.0 million
Pensacola International Airport $3.0 million
Muskogee Road Freight Corridor – Escambia $1.0 million
REVERT AND REAPPROPRIATE REMAINING FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS FROM FY 2014/2015:
Bud and Dorie Day Medal of Honor Patriots Trail
Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission – Industrial Park (FOIL Continuation)
Rental Housing for Low-Income Seniors – City of Crestview
Mossy Head Industrial Park
Disaster Preparedness Funding Radio System
700 MHZ Mutual Aid Overlay – Santa Rosa County – $310,016
Health Care
A study to determine the benefits of hyperbaric treatments to deal with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries is funded at $250,000. The project was suggested to Senator Gaetz by Okaloosa Judge Patt Maney, a retired Army general and highly decorated wounded veteran.
In addition to increased Low Income Pool support, Doctor’s Memorial Hospital in Bonifay is scheduled for $417,000 in supplemental support from the state. Lakeview Center in Pensacola will receive $750,000 for mental health and substance abuse services for children. The COPE Center in Walton County also will gain $750,000, as will the Life Management Center in Bay County
$1.2 million is appropriated for the Family Intensive Treatment Team, a regional mental health program operating in several Northwest Florida counties. ARC Gateway will be awarded $2 million for the second year to provide innovative education and training to disabled young men and women through Pensacola State College. The State Veterans Nursing Home in Panama City receives $190,300 in additional funding for facility improvements.
Criminal Justice
The Walton County Children’s Advocacy Center is allocated $100,000 to assist with its operational costs. Medically-directed child protection teams operating through Childrens Advocacy Centers are budgeted for $300,000. Escambia and Okaloosa County veterans courts are slated at $300,000.
In Escambia County, the booking and detention facility will receive $1 million for construction and repairs. Bethel Empowerment Foundation Reentry Program gets $400,000 and the Reentry Alliance Pensacola is appropriated $50,000. Second Chance Outreach Reentry and Education Development receives $150,000. Expansion of the Juvenile Assessment Centers in Escambia and Bay counties is allocated $735,840.
Cultural, Historic and Library Support
City of Milton Riverwalk – $688,173
Bonifay Memorial Field – $50,000
The Heritage Park Cultural Center – FWB – $250,000
REVERT AND REAPPROPRIATE REMAINING FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS FROM FY 2014/2015:
Bud and Dorie Day Medal of Honor Patriots Trail
Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission – Industrial Park (FOIL Continuation)
Rental Housing for Low-Income Seniors – City of Crestview
Mossy Head Industrial Park
Disaster Preparedness Funding Radio System
700 MHZ Mutual Aid Overlay – Santa Rosa County – $310,016
Library Construction Grants
Marianna Public Library – $500,000
Cultural Facilities Grants
Town of Bascom – $46,500
Culture Builds Florida Grants
Okaloosa Arts Alliance Inc – Salary Assistance – $6,000
The Heritage Museum Association Okaloosa County Centennial – $10,750
Historic Preservation Small Matching Grants
Pensacola Lighthouse Association for Staircase Restoration – $50,000
Walton County – Darlington School / Community Center Restoration Phase 1 – $50,000
Historic Preservation Grants – Fixed Capital Outlay
UWF Historic Trust – Historic Pensacola Restoration and Preservation Project – $194,000
Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel Basilica Restoration and Preservation Project – $109,289
Cultural and Museum Grant Funding:
Northwest Florida Ballet, Okaloosa $36,973
Pensacola Little Theater Inc., Escambia $38,588
The Greater Pensacola Sympony Orchestra, Escambia $62,068
Pensacola Opera Inc., Escambia $63,259
The Pensacola MESS Hall, Inc., Escambia $11,877
Pensacola Children’s Chorus Inc., Escambia $44,516
Pensacola Museum of Art Escambia, $26,753
The Coral Society of Pensacola, Escambia $2,787
Bay Arts Alliance Inc., Bay $33,460
Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Walton $30,73
Gaetz expressed his appreciation for the involvement and support of other members of the Northwest Florida delegation including: Representative Doug Broxson, Representative Brad Drake, Representative Matt Gaetz, Representative Mike Hill, Representative Clay Ingram, Representative Jay Trumbull and Senator Greg Evers.
Once approved tomorrow by both Houses of the Legislature, the budget goes to Governor Rick Scott, who has until June 30 to sign or veto any spending item.