What are Florida's 'Budget Turkeys?' Here's the list sent to Ron DeSantis

Budget turkeys? More like bringing home the bacon.

In its annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, Tallahassee-based Florida TaxWatch identified 218 appropriation items, those they'll spend taxpayer money on, totaling nearly $600 million within Florida’s $117 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24.

The 2023-24 budget for the State of Florida contains a record number of member projects — more than 1,540 worth approximately $3.2 billion. With 160 legislators, this means each lawmaker was able to secure an average of nearly 10 member projects, called “appropriations projects” by the Legislature, worth an average of $20 million for their home district.

Some of the heavily funded areas labeled "Turkeys" include $400 million for transportation and $350 million for beach projects. The Turkey list also includes about $270 million expected to be allocated for law enforcement projects, fire services and emergency management.

“Florida TaxWatch is proud to present our annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, which includes detailed information and thoughtful insight that we hope will serve as a resource to Gov. (Ron) DeSantis throughout his budget deliberations," said Florida TaxWatch Board Chairman Piyush Patel in a news release. "With this comprehensive list in hand, we are confident that he will carefully apply his line-item veto power and once again put the best interests of all tax-paying Floridians first.

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While the organization is not recommending that the governor veto any of the projects on the Budget Turkey list, they do encourage him to provide “especially close scrutiny” to all 218 projects, as well as nearly $1.2 billion in member projects contained in specific line-items. These member projects do not qualify as Budget Turkeys, but they are being flagged because a formal competitive selection process is needed for them or they do not serve a statewide purpose or align with a core function of state government.

What are 'Budget Turkeys'?

These aren't the typical turkeys you'd find at Thanksgiving dinner.

Florida Taxwatch defines budget turkeys as items, usually local member projects, placed in individual line items or accompanying proviso language that is added to the final appropriations bill without being fully scrutinized and subjected to the budget process.

What is the Budget Turkey Watch Report?

The bipartisan, nonprofit tax watchdog provides Floridians with its 'Budget Turkey Watch Report' which identifies individual appropriations that have circumvented a thoughtful and thorough budget process.

The report is based on the principle that, because funds appropriated by the legislature belong to Florida taxpayers, the process must be transparent and thorough, and every appropriation should receive proper deliberation and public scrutiny.

The Budget Turkey label does not signify judgment of a project’s worthiness but rather identifies appropriations that circumvent transparency and accountability standards in public budgeting. Budget Turkeys have become almost exclusively member projects and tend to serve a limited area, are often not core functions of state government, are more appropriately funded with local or private dollars, and can circumvent competitive bidding or selection as well as oversight and accountability.

They also provide the report to assist Gov. Ron DeSantis in his budget deliberations, recommending that he not only consider the value and efficacy of a project, but also if it meets turkey criteria if it addresses a core state government function, and if it was selected through a fair process that promotes the best interest of taxpayers statewide.

Here's a look at what's on this year's report and what to watch out for:

What does this year's report look like?

A relatively small number of member projects are statewide in scope or add additional funding to existing state programs, but the vast majority of them are local projects.

Here are some of the projects within each budget on Florida Taxwatch's report:

Agricultural Promotion and Education Facilities - $18.1 million

The Legislature funded 19 projects worth $18.1 million. Five of these projects, totaling$2.7 million, were not part of the approved, prioritized list—thereby circumventing the process.

Some of the projects:

• Fort Meade Emergency Shelter and Agricultural Center in Polk -$250,000

• Hamilton County Fairgrounds - $300,000

• Jefferson County Horse Arena - $475,000

• Madison County Livestock Arena - $1 million

• Tri-County Agricultural Park in Calhoun, Liberty, and Gulf - $679,271

Water Projects - $433.0 million (the Legislature has created several funding assistance programs for water projects but continues to fund a growing number of projects outside of these grant programs)

Historically, instead of specifying individual member local projects as budget turkeys, Florida TaxWatchhas continually recommended a formal grants process, with review and prioritization by experts, for localwater projects.

Some of the projects include:

• Bay County Star Avenue Water Resiliency Project - $2 million

• Clewiston Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Project in Hendry - $11 million

• Immokalee Reuse/Reclaimed Water Treatment in Collier - $2 million

• Sanibel Slough Water Quality and Resiliency Project in Lee - $1 million

• St. Augustine Resiliency Initiative - Lake Maria Sanchez in St. Johns - $10 million

Local Parks, Trails, Recreation - $47.9 million

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection administers several competitive grant programs that allow local governments to apply for financial assistance grants to develop and/or acquire landfor public outdoor recreational use.

One of these, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Program (a federal program administered at the state level by DEP) was appropriated $13.8 million in federal funds in this budget that will be distributed competitively to local governments for the acquisition or development of land for public outdoor recreation. The 2023 Legislature provided $11.2 million for FRDAP. This budget also contains $22.9 million for 29 local parks outside of the grant programs.

Some of the projects include:

• Cape Coral Storm Athletic Complex Redevelopment project in Lee - $925,000

• Flagler Beach Pier Removal & Replacement in Flagler - $4.5 million

• Okaloosa County Special Needs Ball Field and Park - $1.25 million

• Lakeland Water Education Center in Polk - $950,000

Beach Projects - $350 million

The Florida Beach Management Funding Assistance Program provides and manages grants to local governments for the planning and implementation of beach and inlet management projects, including beachrestoration and nourishment, environmental studies and monitoring, inlet sand transfer, and dune restoration.

The 2023 Legislature created a $350 million Hurricane Recovery Grant Program for counties impactedby hurricanes Ian and Nicole. These grants may be used for beach renourishment.

Local Transportation Projects – $400.7 million

In past Budget Turkey reports, Florida TaxWatch has urged the Legislature if they choose to continuefunding these local member projects, to use general revenue to avoid impacting the Work Program. This year, because these projects do not negatively impact the Work Program, they are not on the Budget Turkey list (withthe exception of three mentioned above that were removed from the budget during the conference, only tobe added back by the sprinkle lists).

Housing and Community Development Projects – $118.0 million

The number of projects and the amount spent on them has been growing, and it has exploded in the lasttwo years. There are transportation projects, water projects, parks and recreation, historic preservation, resiliency projects, local government buildings, emergency shelters, social services programs, and more projects that are normally funded by other agencies

These projects include:

• Babcock Ranch Community Playground for Children of All Abilities in Charlotte - $1.5 million

• Brevard Zoo Aquarium - Dr. Duane Defreese Coastal Conservation Hub Construction in Brevard - $2 million

• Coconut Creek - Sunshine Drive Park Improvements and Playground Replacement in Broward - $315,000

• The Pinellas Science Center in Pinellas - $900,000

• Whiting Aviation Park Taxiway and Apron Construction in Sanat Rosa - $1.5 million

Acquisition, Restoration of Historic Properties - $48 million

The Department of State has grant programs to fund historic preservation—Small Matching (up to $50,000)and Special Category (up to $500,000) grants. The Legislature funded both approved lists in their entirety.Nineteen projects that did not go through the grant processes were also funded.

Projects include:

• Historic Pensacola in Escambia - $275,000

• City of High Springs - Priest Theatre in Alachua - $1.04 million

• Italian Club of Tampa - Restoration and Code Compliance Initiative in Hillsborough - $1 million

• Hotel Ponce de Leon in Saint Johns - $35 million

• San Carlos Institute Structural Repairs - Key West in Monroe - $1.25 million

School and Instructional Enhancements – $45.6 million

In addition to 64 member projects, this report includes nine projects that have become recurring baseprojects.

Private College and University Projects – $42.2 million

The Board of Governors and the Division of Colleges have a required Public Education CapitalThe outlay selection process for higher education construction projects. Four years ago, the Legislaturestrengthened it, creating a point system to prioritize the projects with a focus on finishing projects thatare already in the pipeline before adding new ones with significant future-year funding needs—a longtime Florida TaxWatch recommendation.

University projects include:

• Florida State University Arts District in Leon - $1.5 million

• University of Florida Health and Financial Tech Graduate Education Center in Duval - $75 million

• University of Florida Academic and Research Collaboration Center in Alachua - $11 million

• University of West Florida Critical Infrastructure - Satellite Utilities Plant Phase I in Escambia - $10 million

• Florida International University H. Wertheim College of Med Academic Health Sciences/Clinical Facility in Miami-Dade - $5 million

College projects include:

• Chipola College Building Renovation for Nursing Program Expansion in Jackson - $1.2 million

• Lake-Sumter State College Workforce Development Center in Lake - $17.5 million

• Seminole State Colleg Student Services Center - Altamonte Springs in Seminole - $377,665

Special Local Law Enforcement Projects – $90.8 million, Local Fire Service – $86.4 million, Local Emergency Management Programs and Facilities – $94.3 million

These are essential government services, but they have historically been local governmentresponsibilities, especially fixed capital outlay projects. More of these projects have been getting statefunds in recent years and this year’s funding ballooned.

Economic Development Projects – $7.4 million

This line item has tightened up in the last couple of years, with most of the projects seeming to havemore of a clear economic development focus. Still, there should be a statutory competitive selectionprocess. The 2023 Legislature eliminated many state economic development programs and incentives,citing low return on investment.

Workforce Projects – $11.9 million

These are in addition to $261.9 million in the budget for local workforce development boards. The Legislature has recently revamped the state’s workforce development system. It is unclear whether theseprojects fit that new focus.

Cultural Museums and Grants - $64 million

The Florida Department of State has several ongoing cultural grant programs. DOS ensures thatthe grant applications qualify, ranks them, and submits the recommended lists to the Legislature. Thisyear a total of $64.0 million was recommended.

Projects include:

• Black History Month Celebration - 1619Fest Orlando/Rebel Run 5K in Orange - $160,000

• Harry & Harriette V Moore Cultural Complex - Cultural Programs & Animatronic Figures in Brevard - $200,000

• Military History Museum Building Expansion in Osceola - $765,000

• Penny Lane Beatles Museum Education and Expansion in Pinnelas - $825,000

• The Center for Arts & Innovation in Palm Beach - $750,000

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida TaxWatch finds $600 million worth of 'turkeys' in 2023 budget