DEP Announces Plans to Save Taxpayers $700 Million from Water Management Districts

On Wednesday, state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Herschel Vinyard said that a new agreement between his agency and the five water management districts could lead to Florida taxpayers saving more than $700 million and he intends to cut their slice of budget by that much next year. These savings come from reducing staff levels, debt management and cutting nonessential costs.

Effective and efficient water management is essential to a healthy economy and a healthy environment, said Vinyard. These budget reductions are an important first step in ensuring that the water management districts focus on their core environmental missions, and the reductions reflect a significant savings for Florida taxpayers.

Gov. Rick Scott had called back in April for DEP to review the five districts for ways to save money. On Wednesday, the governor sent the five districts letters asking for more cuts.