Florida lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session Friday by passing a record $117 billion budget and an accompanying $1.3 billion tax package.
A good chunk of the state budget is being set aside for projects in Northeast Florida.
The Jacksonville Historical Naval Ship Association could get half a million dollars for the USS Orleck.
It was just about a month ago when the Orleck was moved to its now permanent home at the Shipyards, and some of that money will go toward the pier where it’s docked.
However, in terms of budget, the Orleck is just the beginning.
The project getting the most funding from the state is the new University of Florida Health and Technology Center, with $75 million. Money from the city and private donors is also expected to go toward the project.
The other big chunk heads to JaxPort with $30 million going to replace two aging cranes.
Also included in the budget draft is $5 million for a new pediatric behavioral unit at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Twenty rooms would be added, and it would also replace the pediatric ICU, which relocated last year.
About $26 million will go to UNF’s Coggin College of Business building expansion and upgrades and $5 million is also going to the Ocearch operations center at Mayport
Other money will go toward Operation New Hope and the UNF Brooks College of Health, to name a few.
In St. Johns County, $10 million will go to St. Augustine to protect downtown and neighborhoods nearby from flooding. Federal money is also being used to help in this area.
Another $35 million would also be used to remodel the Hotel Ponce de Leon on the Flagler College campus, which would allow 400 students to continue living in the building, and $15 million would go toward helping traffic on County Road 2209.
The full budget is over 400 pages long, and money is also going to services in Clay and Nassau counties.
The tax package lawmakers passed includes a series of expanded sales-tax “holidays” on back-to-school items, disaster-preparedness gear and summer events. The package, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, also would trim a commercial-lease tax and give tax breaks on purchases ranging from diapers for babies and adults to cattle fencing, firearm-storage devices and gas stoves.
While DeSantis has line-item veto power for the budget, what lawmakers passed Friday would be 6.4% higher than the spending plan for the current fiscal year, which will end June 30.