Gov. Rick Scott’s veto pen stripped away funds from some projects but spared others, as he cut more than $460 million from the state’s 2015-16 budget.
Pasco County lost more than $8 million in anticipated funds for various projects.
But some local projects in the $78.6 billion state budget faired especially well.
Pasco-Hernando State College will receive $5.5 million for a performing arts center in Wesley Chapel. A shooting range for the police academy, located on the college’s Dade City campus, will receive $1 million for improvements.
Another winner is the Land O’ Lakes Community Center which will receive $250,000 for a band shell and stage.
“I’m as excited as I can be,” said Sandy Graves, president of Heritage Park Foundation. The nonprofit helps collect donations for improvements to the community center, which dates to the 1960s.
“We’ve been wanting it and wanting it. It’d be in our reach, and then it would go away,” Graves said.
In December, Graves made a presentation to Pasco’s legislative delegation. The initial estimate of $150,000 for construction costs was deemed too low, and the request was boosted to $250,000.
The community center is a long-time gathering place for residents in Land O’ Lakes and Lutz, Graves said.
The band shell and stage will enable the community to expand uses there, to include bigger community events and festivals.
Scott signed the state’s budget on June 22. It becomes effective July 1.
The county’s losses, in budget cuts, included $1.9 million for a storm water project in Dade City; $250,000 for the Senior Elderly Nutrition Kitchen; $1 million for the Metropolitan Ministries’ partially completed transitional housing for the county’s homeless population; and $450,000 for a Zephyrhills’ fire protection water line.
It was a mixed bag for Pasco County Schools.
The good news is the district will receive $750,000 to continue operating the Tampa Bay Regional Aeronautics Academies partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Tampa International Airport. Currently, there is an aeronautics academy at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes.
But Scott cut $1.5 million sought for a similar program at Zephyrhills High School that would include a capital project for a separate classroom facility.
Among reasons Scott gave for eliminating line items from the budget was whether the programs would offer statewide benefits.
“I disagree that these programs don’t have a statewide benefit, or return on investment,” Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning said in a news release. “We believe this unique program embraces Governor Scott’s platform to provide more jobs for Floridians, attract more businesses to our state, and prepare students to achieve success in college, career and life.”
However, Browning noted that the program would move forward with classroom instruction at Zephyrhills High School.
Published July 1, 2015
