Palm Beach County feels DeSantis vetoes with $21 million hit. Here's who took the biggest cuts

Municipalities from Boynton Beach to Jupiter along with scores of nonprofits will lose more than $21 million in state funds because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ line-item vetoes affecting 40 projects in Palm Beach County.

DeSantis vetoed about 700 items statewide, adding up to nearly $950 million. As governor, he has the power to make cuts in the budget presented to him by the Legislature.

The largest single cut in Palm Beach County involved the loss of $2 million for the reconstruction of County Road 880 in Belle Glade. Other large cuts involved $1 million for expanded use of an emergency shelter at the South Florida Fair for disabled residents and $500,000 for Phase II construction of Green Cay, a project that will purify recycled water and replenish groundwater supplies throughout the region.

Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron said the county will look for alternative sources of funding for all three projects and that none should be delayed by the cuts.

It wasn’t all bad news for Palm Beach County. Some of the largest budget appropriations were not cut. Among them:

• $81 million for an early learning services program

• $32 million for a voluntary kindergarten program

• $10 million for a technology center at Palm Beach State College

• $5 million for the Cox Science Center expansion and Aquarium project in West Palm Beach

• $2.8 million for an upgrade of traffic signals in downtown West Palm Beach

Palm Beach County government funding for Peanut Island’s historic restoration stayed intact at $1 million, as did restoration for the Lake Worth Lagoon's seagrasses at $270,500, but Palm Beach County Fire Rescue lost $385,000 for water vessels.

Some of the county’s poorest communities — Riviera Beach, South Bay, Belle Glade and Mangonia Park — were among those that fared the worst.

• Riviera Beach lost $850,000 for pavement improvements and a project to build a new Singer Island fire station.

• South Bay lost nearly $1.2 million for flood control and improvements to Southwest 12th Avenue.

• Belle Glade lost $450,000 for sidewalk replacement and to demolish abandoned structures.

South Bay City Manager Leondrae D. Camel said funds taken out of the state budget would have helped to address flooding that often makes it difficult for first responders to respond to emergency calls. He noted that the city already has one of the highest millage rates in the county, so raising the rate will not be an option.

Camel said the city will pursue other state and federal grants to make up for the shortfall.

Local Democrats; Vetoes make bigger impact on those 'who can least afford these cuts'

The cuts did not go unnoticed by Democratic legislators who successfully worked with their colleagues to include the funding in the state budget.

State Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, said the vetoes affect “the people who can least afford these cuts to vital infrastructure, maintenance and educational programs. These callous and cruel cuts weren’t delivered by a man who weighed the pros and cons before axing a project. These cuts were made by a man who caters to the select few who bolster his political ambitions, and ignores the majority left to fend for themselves.”

Arts and museums: DeSantis vetoes money in state budget, shocks Florida cultural organizations

Powell pointed to the vetoes to projects in Riviera Beach, South Bay and Belle Glade. He said those towns will find it difficult to obtain money to carry those projects through.

State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, said he, too, was disappointed over some of the cuts but noted that DeSantis was consistent with what he did across the state. He also said there was no intent by the governor to target low-income communities.

“These are judgment calls that he makes. He wants to keep spending down as much as possible. He has been very prudent in spending taxpayer dollars. And I’m pleased overall with the amount still in the budget for Palm Beach County," Caruso said.

State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, said she wished DeSantis had reached out to legislators before cutting what she called vital programs. “I think we could have convinced him to not make some of them,” she said.

A cut of $250,000 from the Delray Beach-based EJS Project nonprofit was especially troublesome, Berman noted. “This is a group that does such great work. They needed that money,” Berman said. EJS works with students to “engage in meaningful dialogue around race equity, and leadership,” according to its website, adding its desire is to have every teen succeed.

Boynton Beach took the biggest hit in the county — $3 million total

No city in the county suffered as much as Boynton Beach.

The city was looking to replace a 50-year-old culvert with a bridge. The state budget provided $1.2 million for the project, but DeSantis removed the funds from the state budget. It also lost $600,000 for a generator for its 911 communications center and another $1 million to replace a boat ramp that has structural issues.

In all, it added up to $3 million.

Arts throughout Palm Beach County also suffered from DeSantis vetoes

There has been pushback throughout the state against DeSantis for his cuts to the arts. Statewide, he wiped out $32 million in state arts and cultural grants, and Palm Beach County absorbed its share; more than $2.3 million was taken out of the state budget. Among the 45 who saw cuts of more than $50,000 were:

• Boca Raton Museum of Art

• Center for Creative Education

• Creative City Collaborative of Delray Beach

• Lighthouse Art Center

• Loxahatchee River Historical Society

• Palm Beach Opera

• Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

• The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum

• Creative City Collaborative of Delray Beach

• Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden

• Historical Society of Palm Beach County

• Loggerhead Marinelife Center

• Lynn Conservatory of Music

• Maltz Jupiter Theatre

• The Lake Worth Playhouse

• The Morakami

• Village of Royal Palm Beach

• Village of Wellington

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: DeSantis vetoes felt in Palm Beach County with a $21 million hit