Gov. Rick Scotts administration continued unveiling its proposed budget Wednesday, taking it to the Florida House Agricultureand Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers.
Andrew Grayson, the acting policy coordinator of the Environmental Policy Unit of the Office of Policy and Budget, spoke to the committee on how the proposed budget impacts the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Citrus, and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Williams, a veteran of the House who was first elected in 2004, opened the meeting, noting that the budget proposal from Scott was different in format than what she had seen from former Gov. Jeb Bush or former Gov. Charlie Crist.
Our task today is to review the governors budget plan as it was rolled out on Monday, said Williams. Its a totally different format from what I have seen.
Weve taken the budget and changed the structure, insisted Grayson. Weve created a service structure.
Grayson outlined some of the general rationale behind Scotts proposal.
He is interested in lowering the costs of government, said Grayson. Cleary the governor is all about creating private-sector jobs.
Grayson also weighed in on Scotts proposal which outlines budgets for both FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13.
The governor believes its important to look forward, insisted Grayson, noting that 15 other states use bi-annual budgets.
Focusing on the four agencies under the oversight of the House subcommittee, Grayson told the subcommittee how the proposed budget impacts each agency.
In terms of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Grayson said the proposed budget would save $8.5 million by eliminating 190 positions, of which 23 are currently filled while the rest are vacant. The proposed budget would also cut almost $957,000 from the Mosquito Control Program, $285,000 from the Office of Water Policy, $200,000 from State Forest receipts to fiscally constrained counties, and $70,000 from the Off Highway Vehicle Program.
Turning to DEP, Grayson said the plan called for saving $6.3 million by eliminating 120 jobs in the department that are currently vacant. The proposal also included moving 48 positions from the Department of Community Affairs. The Scott team looked to cut $2.3 million and 22 positions by merging the Office of Greenways and Trails, Recreational Assistance to Local Governments and the Florida Communities Trust with State Parks.
Scotts proposed budget ended 85 vacant positions in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, saving $4.5 million. The plan also called for taking $2.7 million from Invasive Plant Management, $1.3 million from the Office of Recreations Services and terminating 12 positions and cutting Red Tide Research and Monitoring by $600,000 and Lake and Habitat Restoration by $500,000.
The proposed budget called for saving $4 million by realigning budget authority in the Department of Citrus and saving almost $979,000 by eliminating 15 vacant positions.
Grayson also noted that the Scott budget called for reducing taxes from water management districts by $178 million over the next two years.
Grayson shot down rumors and reports that Scott intended to gut state parks.
We are not closing any parks in the governors budget, insisted Grayson.
Please tell the governor, thank you, thank you, thank you, said Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee.
While the Republican members remained mostly silent, some of the Democrats on the subcommittee, led by ranking member Rep. Leonard Bembry of Madison, raised questions and concerns about the proposed budget.
While Bembry expressed concern over the impact on small counties and told Grayson that cutting from Invasive Plant Management and Lake and Habitat Restoration would cost the state more in the long run, other Democrats on the subcommittee took off the gloves.
Rep. Luis Garcia, D-Miami, offered harsh criticism of the proposed budget, insisting that expenses would trickle down to local governments. The ultimate ending is the people are going to have to pay more money, insisted Garcia.
I think what the governor is doing is making local government rethink their priorities, replied Grayson, stressing that Scott hoped local governments would also tighten their belts
Garcia, a retired Miami Beach fire chief, started ripping into Scotts record at HCA/Columbia before Williams told him this was not the venue for such comments.
Williams stressed that the governors proposal was only one part of the entire budgetary process.
This doesnt include what the House is looking at. This doesnt include what the Senate is looking at, said Williams. These are moving targets, if you will, and these are just the governors suggestions.
The subcommittee will meet twice next week to continue crafting the budget, and the full House Appropriations Committee will meet on Thursday to hear a presentation from Jerry McDaniel, Scotts budget director.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
