As lawmakers in Tallahassee prepare to make their full budget proposals official, the City of Plant City’s legislative agenda appears to be headed toward success in the state house, according to a lobbyist working on the city’s behalf.
Seth McKeel of Southern Strategy Group — the self-proclaimed “Jedis of government” who lobby state legislators on behalf of many Florida cities — gave an update to the City Commission during a meeting Monday, April 10.
“As we move toward conference, we are in a very good position as far as your specific Plant City funding issues,” McKeel said.
McKeel said three of five funding requests have made it into either the Florida House or State Senate’s budget proposals coming out of the respective appropriations committees, totaling more than $2 million worth of opportunities for Plant City.
With the help of State Reps. Dan Raulerson, R-Plant City, and Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, McKeel said, a Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program request of $300,000 for development in McIntosh Regional Park has made it in the House’s $81.2 billion dollar proposed budget.
In the Senate, McKeel said, State Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, and State Sen. Jeff Brandes,R-Saint Petersburg, helped with with funding for the Collins Street Improvements project at more than $1.1 million. Lee and State Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, helped align $650,000 for the Franklin Street Neighborhood Stormwater Improvements project. The proposed Senate budget is $83.1 billion.
Because of stark differences in the proposed budgets, McKeel said, it is unclear what will make it into the legislature’s final budget, but the progress so far is more than he expected.
“I’m not sure we’ll get all three done the way we want,” he said. “But we’re in play.”
CRA Sunset
McKeel said there’s also been good news for Plant City regarding community redevelopment agencies.
The mishandling of CRA funds in South Florida spurred the creation of House Bill 13, which threatens to drastically stymie CRA development.
HB 13 initially prevented new CRAs from forming after July 1, and existing CRAs from taking on projects after Oct. 1. The bill also called for CRAs to be eliminated by 2037 — including Plant City. Such a bill could negatively impact ongoing development in town.
“They (the legislature) need to get off this kick of just blanketly killing all the rest off us of just because of a few,” City Commissioner Mike Sparkman said.
In the Senate, Lee filed Senate Bill 1770, a companion bill which maintains the transparency and accountability provisions of HB 13 while still allowing for the creation and expansion of new CRAs. In addition, the bill paves the way for current CRAs to remain in place past 2037.
Amendments to HB 13 have provided for the same allowances as SB 1770, though it still doesn’t allow for the creation of new CRAs.
Both bills are still in the committee stage in the House and Senate and might not make it to a floor vote this session, McKeel said.
Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@plantcityobserver.com