Mike Wright
Proposed state budgets are providing a mixed bag for Citrus County, though its priorities were mostly ignored.
Neither the House nor Senate budgets provide funding for the Cross Florida Barge Canal boat ramp or a new fire station at the Inverness Airport.
Three Citrus County projects are included in both budgets, albeit at different amounts.
Sen. Blaise Ingoglia promised to advocate for $350,000 for the revitalization of Crystal Memorial Gardens, a historic African American cemetery just outside the Crystal River city limits. Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican, visited the cemetery with project organizer Andrea McCray last September.
The House budget has $175,000 earmarked for Crystal Memorial Gardens.
As expected, the Senate’s list of Citrus projects far exceeds that of the House, where Inverness Rep. JJ Grow is in his first Regular Session. Citrus projects total $1.4 million in the House and $8.9 million in the Senate.
Other budget highlights are:
— Jessie’s Place, the Child Advocacy Center of Citrus County named for Jessica Lunsford, is in the House budget for $100,000 and Senate for $200,000 for an expansion.
— The Homosassa River Restoration Project, which has had mixed success obtaining consistent year-to-year state funding, has $1 million in the House budget and $2 million in the Senate.
— The Academy of Environmental Sciences has $120,000 in the House budget but nothing in the Senate for upgrades to the public charter school.
— The Senate budget has $573,554 for LifeStream Behavioral Centers’ Baker Act facility in Citrus County, which is under construction. There is no money in the House budget for the Baker Act project.
— Only one Citrus County government project made either budget. The County requested $5 million for the Halls River Road multiuse path in Homosassa. The Senate has $1 million; there is nothing in the House version.
— The Senate proposes $350,000 for new Sheriff Dave Vincent’s plan for body-worn cameras; there’s nothing in the House budget.
— $2 million is in the Senate budget for the Save Crystal River restoration project. Nothing is in the House proposal.
— The Senate budget includes $1.5 million to design the widening of County Road 491 between Pine Ridge Boulevard and U.S. 41. Citrus County did not request the funding; rather, it was on behalf of a company that plans a 5,000-home lagoon development near Beverly Hills called Tuscany Ranch.
The project has yet to go through the public hearing process. Nothing is approved.
The County is undergoing a corridor study for an eventual widening project. County Administrator Steve Howard said the developer made the request with the county agreeing to accept funds if they’re approved.
“This is something this developer has done in other places,” Bays said. “If they can get funding for roads and offset what it takes from the county coffers, I guess it’s trying to be a good partner.”
