Conceptual image of the Everglades Greenway Bike Loop bridge {Carnahan, Proctor, and Cross, INC.}
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $1.3 million in funding earmarked for two major projects in Coral Springs.
State funds for the planned Everglades Greenway Loop and Coral Springs Real Time Crime Center were among the nearly $950 million worth of projects, programs, and other expenditures approved by Florida lawmakers but slashed by DeSantis.
The governor signed the $116.5 billion state budget into law on June 12.
“Some of the stuff I don’t think was appropriate for state tax dollars,” DeSantis said of his vetoes, which included $32 million in slashed state funding for the arts.
The vetoed appropriations for Coral Springs mean city officials will have to find ways to make up the $800,000 the legislature had approved for its Everglades Greenway Loop project.
City officials said construction on the Greenway—a scenic 10-mile loop that would connect Coral Springs to the Everglades—is expected to begin in 2025.
Estimated costs are projected to reach around $20 million, according to city records.
“We’re going to continue to find ways to get funding for this project,” said Coral Springs Commissioner Joshua Simmons. “It’s unfortunate that we can’t look at the state to become a partner in that. It’s the second year in a row that we have tried to receive funds for this project, but the governor does not want to be a partner in this.”
City Manager Frank Babinec said the city would seek grant funding to make up the lost $800,000.
“We were going to be using that money for part of the construction,” Babinec said.
Officials said the impact of DeSantis’ other local veto—$500,000 for the city’s Real Time Crime Center—will be felt more immediately. The high-tech center uses advanced technology to quickly access surveillance footage after crimes, track criminal suspects, and use data to improve public safety.
The money would have gone toward increasing the center’s crime-fighting capabilities.
“We won’t be able to make those enhancements this year,” Babinec said. “It’s something we’ll have to plan out for future years.”
Simmons said DeSantis’ veto of the center’s funding “bothers me to no end because I know the incredible job that our police department does.”
“Asking for that [money] is not because it’s a wish list; it’s something we need to do to make sure we keep our residents safe.”
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