Brevard projects make Florida TaxWatch's annual list of 'Budget Turkeys'

Jim Waymer, Florida Today
2 min read
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A Florida watchdog group sniffed out three projects in Brevard County totaling more than $6.2 million, among 450 state appropriations this year worth $854.6 million, that were bypassed normal legislative procedures. The group deems these items "Budget Turkeys."

The Budget Turkey label "does not signify judgement of a project’s merit, value, or need," Florida TaxWatch said in a release Wednesday. But the group's annual Budget Turkey Watch Report "is based on the principle that, because funds appropriated by the legislature belong to Florida taxpayers, the process must be transparent and accountable, and every project should receive proper deliberation and public debate."

The three "turkeys" in Brevard were as follows:

  • $5,000,000 to the Florida Institute of Technology for "a university aerospace assured engineering and educational laboratory of national distinction to help produce quality engineers to counter threats to data, design, production, and products," the local funding initiative says. "As the southern anchor of Florida’s 'space triangle,' Florida Tech is proposing to help alleviate engineering cyber talent shortages for Florida aerospace and defense industries by developing the ASCEND Center of Excellence."

  • $588,000 for Phase 1, design and engineering of a new Public Safety Complex and Emergency Operations Center in Palm Bay. The complex will include a police substation, fire station co-located with a Brevard County EMS unit, and serve as a dedicated emergency operations/command center during natural or man-made disasters," the local funding initiative says. The location of the Complex at the intersection of Malabar Road and the St. John's Heritage Parkway.

  • $650,000 for the Cape Canaveral Light Station Reconstruction Phase 2. The iconic lighthouse has been at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for more than 155 years. Phase 2 of this project would complete reconstruction of the keepers’ cottages. Phase 1 reconstructed the Head Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage in 2019. Phase 2 will reconstruct the 1st and 2nd Assistant Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages.

This year's state budget once again has a record number of local member projects — more than 1,600 projects worth about $2.8 billion, Florida TaxWatch's report notes. "This marks the third year in a row that the budget contained at least $2.8 billion in member projects."

“Florida TaxWatch’s Budget Turkey Watch Report is a one-of-a-kind publication that serves as an invaluable resource for taxpayers, as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis," Florida TaxWatch Board Chairman Piyush Patel, said in a prepared statement. "We trust that he will carefully consider all the projects we identified, including Turkeys, member projects, and more, and rely on the information we provided to help ensure those that remain in the final state budget will effectively improve the lives of Floridians far and wide.”

Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Tax watchdog group sniffs out $854.6 million in 'Budget Turkeys'

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