A.G. Gancarski
Florida’s budget has been signed. And while the capital is in Tallahassee still, a key center of gravity was to the east.
Clay County controlled much of the budget process this year. Both House Appropriations Chair Rep. Travis Cummings and Senate Budget Chief Rob Bradley hail from there.
In a 61-day Legislative Session, the House and Senate came together with a budget process that Republicans lauded for its efficiency and lack of performative rancor.
And while by most accounts, the Governor’s Office was a much more functional negotiating partner than the previous administration, the first veto list still offered $133.1 million of trimming from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The smallest veto list in recent memory, less than a fourth of the member projects that DeSantis’ predecessor, current Sen. Rick Scott had in his first budget.
This was no surprise to Sen. Bradley.
“The overall veto number reflects the good will between the Governor and the Legislature both during and after session. It was a very productive session from a budget standpoint,” Bradley said.
“The low veto number also reflects the fact that it was a tight budget with no fat. When there’s no fat, there’s little to cut,” Bradley added. “Very low key and business like, which is the way to do it.”
“While there is always disappointment when a line item here or there gets vetoed, it’s always important to keep the big picture in mind. It was a great budget year for the state and our region,” Bradley contended.
One disappointing veto was in Bradley’s own backyard: an $8 million spend for workforce housing in Jacksonville. Vestcor would have handled that project, and it was vetoed despite being a priority of the city’s Mayor’s Office.
The Senator urges the long view there.
“The Governor had issues with the process. It’s time to address those issues and then deal with this need next session because the need isn’t going away,” Bradley said.
The Senator’s comments line-up with those of Vestcor’s John Rood, a key GOP donor who lobbied DeSantis throughout the Session. Rood noted the Governor’s difficulties with the money coming from the Sadowsky Fund, as well as the mechanism by which the Legislature pushed the project.
However, line-item vetoes are not the story of this budget for Bradley.
In his remarks Friday after signing the budget, Gov. Ron DeSantis lauded environmental spending, including environmental spending.
$682 million total was allocated for environmental concerns. Roughly $400 million of that cash for Everglades restoration projects, $100 million for springs restoration, $25 million to fight blue-green and red tide algal blooms.
DeSantis, who branded as a Teddy Roosevelt Republican as a candidate, has turned rhetoric into spending.
Bradley was thrilled.
“This year’s budget was an absolute home run for Florida’s environment. We addressed water quality, water supply and land acquisition issues from the St. John’s River to the Everglades. As a passionate advocate for environmental issues,” Bradley said, “I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out.”
The Governor and the Legislature squared up on reserve levels also, which DeSantis (as was the case with Gov. Scott) sees as key.
With recent hurricanes and the possibility of an economic cycle change, the Governor sees keeping levels healthy as key. The Legislative side required little convincing.
“Both Chair Cummings and I emphasized creating a healthy reserve balance in the weeks leading up to session. It was a necessary focus because of economic uncertainty and the seemingly constant threat from hurricanes. I’m very pleased we met our reserve goals. The issue of reserves doesn’t grab any headlines but future budget chairs will thank us for it,” Bradley noted.
