Each year the Leon Board of County Commissioners establishes state and federal legislative priorities. At their November 20, 2018 meeting, the Board voted to move forward with priorities for 2019.
Staff provided the Board with a report on ten appropriations requests, fifteen projects for potential grant funding, five state policy issues, and four federal policy issues proposed for the 2019 state and federal legislative sessions.
The appropriation requests, shown below, include funds for two septic-to-sewer projects ($3.5 mill), backup generators ($1.3 mill) and two water restoration projects ($5.5 mill).
Leon County has been successful in recent years securing grant funding from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Five-Year Work Program, the Springs Restoration Matching Grant Program administered by the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The Board approved 15 grant projects for 2019 totaling approximately $60 million. The grant projects are listed below:
The policy requests approved by the Board include five state priorities and four federal priorities. Notable are the priorities of restoring passenger rail service in the Gulf Coast region and maintaining local control over the canopy road systems.
State Priorities:
1. Support the protection of the state workforce and oppose any reductions to state employee benefits.
2. Support the revision of Sec. 125.0104, F.S. to modify the eligibility of counties to levy the Local Option High Impact Tourist Development Tax.
3. Support the Gulf Coast Working Group’s efforts to restore passenger rail service in the Gulf Coast region.
4. Oppose legislation that further restricts local government’s ability to regulate and preserve canopy road systems.
5. Support the Florida Association of Counties 2018-2019 legislative efforts unless specific issues conflict with Leon County’s interests.
Federal Priorities:
1. Support efforts to coordinate and gain support of the County’s proposal for consideration as the potential relocation site of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Offices.
2. Support the City of Tallahassee’s application for a Foreign Trade Zone at the Tallahassee International Airport.
3. Support the Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group’s Final Report and federal funding through programs such as CRISI and REG to restore passenger rail service in the Gulf Coast region.
4. Support the National Association of Counties 2018-2019 legislative efforts unless specific issues conflict with Leon County’s interests.
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