DeSantis OKs $137 million for Manatee in Florida budget. See what made the cut

Of the $140 million in state appropriations recommended for Manatee County and its municipalities, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed only two projects totaling $3 million.

This means that Manatee County Government will receive all $12.4 million it requested, which will help fund key infrastructure projects and community services. However, DeSantis vetoed $2 million for Palmetto’s water meter backflow upgrades and $891,184 for the East Manatee Fire Rescue Station 9’s crosswalk beacon.

The appropriations are part of the $117.6 billion budget that DeSantis signed on Monday. Before signing the budget into law, DeSantis vetoed about $810 million in appropriations.

“This budget protects taxpayers’ interests, cuts spending for the fourth year in a row, and makes meaningful investments to build on Florida’s successes in education, public safety, environmental conservation, infrastructure, cancer research and more,” DeSantis said in a press release.

Manatee County’s appropriations include the $5 million design of a Fort Hamer Road and I-75 interchange, $1.5 million for the Singletary Road Bridge Replacement and $1.3 million for the second phase of Fresh Start Manatee.

“Fresh Start is about creating a pathway forward,” Commissioner Amanda Ballard said in a press release. “This investment allows us to continue addressing homelessness with compassion, accountability and long-term solutions that connect people with the resources they need to rebuild their lives.”

Another $1.6 million appropriation is included for the county’s Valor Commons project. The project, which broke ground in January, is the county’s new resource hub and gathering space to honor the area’s veterans.

“Valor Commons represents our community’s commitment to those who have served our nation,” Commissioner Mike Rahn said in a press release. “This funding brings us one step closer to creating a place where veterans and their families can access critical services, find support and be honored for their sacrifices.”

Manatee County is also getting $3 million for the 51st Street West Extension between 53rd Avenue West and El Conquistador Parkway. Commissioners voted in November to name this extension “Charlie Kirk Memorial Boulevard” following Kirk’s assassination in September.

The City of Bradenton also received nearly $6 million for wastewater projects like the injection well pump at the Water Reclamation Facility.

DeSantis vetoed these two appropriations from the budget:

• City of Palmetto Water Meter Backflow Upgrades – $2 million
• East Manatee Fire Rescue Station 9 HAWK (High-Intensity Activated CrossWalk) Beacon System – $891,184

Here’s the full list of the appropriations included in the state budget:

• Manatee County Fresh Start Manatee Phase 2 — $1,300,000
• Manatee County Fort Hamer Interchange — $5,000,000
• Manatee County Singletary Road Bridge Replacement — $1,500,000
• Manatee County 51st Street West Extension 53rd Avenue West to El Conquistador Parkway (Charlie Kirk Memorial Parkway) — $3,000,000
• City of Bradenton Lift Station 08 Relocation — $1,000,000
• City of Bradenton Water Reclamation Facility Injection Well Pump Station — $3,000,000
• City of Bradenton Water Reclamation Facility Off-Line Storage Tank — $1,000,000
• City of Palmetto Rehabilitation and Resiliency Improvements to Sanitary Sewer Lift Stations — $750,000
• City of Palmetto Sanitary Sewer I&I Pipe Lining — $1,000,000
• City of Palmetto 14th Ave Recreational Facility — $1,500,000
• City of Palmetto 10th Avenue West Complete Streets — $2,000,000
• Bradenton Beach Stormwater Flood Resiliency Projects — $1,000,000
• Anna Maria Public Works Building — $1,250,000
• Holmes Beach Resiliency and Stormwater Improvements — $631,670
• BayCare Hospital Manatee Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — $2,500,000
• Pace Center for Girls Manatee Building — $2,500,000
• Centerstone of Florida (Manatee) — $714,729
• Manatee County Early Learning Coalition — $16,173,288
• Manatee School Readiness Program — $17,943,750
• Manatee Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program — $8,376,347
• School District Workforce Education Programs — $10,511,121
• Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) Fund — $485,048
• Manatee County Clerk of Court — $1,692,876 from General Revenue and $3,315,995 from the Federal Grants Trust Fund for Child Support Services
• State College of Florida Parrish campus — $7,500,000
• State College of Florida 2+2 Student Success Incentive Fund — $306,350
• State College CDL State Consortium — $3,500,000
• State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota operating funds and approved baccalaureate programs — $36,571,915
• State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota for the Work Florida Student Success Incentive Fund — $206,813
• State College of Florida PIPELINE — $1,530,501

Carter Weinhofer

Bradenton Herald

Carter Weinhofer is the Bradenton Herald’s Accountability Reporter. He covers politics, development and other local issues. Carter’s work has received recognition from the Florida Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Florida Society of News Editors. He graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.