On Monday Florida TaxWatch released their annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, a report designed to ensure budget oversight and accountability in the Florida legislative process. The report is a compilation of “Budget Turkeys,” which are described as “local member projects, placed in individual line-items or accompanying proviso language that are added to the final appropriations bill without being fully scrutinized and subjected to the budget process.”
The 16-page report highlights the millions of dollars spent by the Florida Legislature added to the overall state budget without the same “deliberation, debate, and accountability they deserve.”
This year’s Budget Turkey Watch Report has identified 116 appropriations items worth $157.5 million. The annual Budget Turkey Report spotlights legislative projects placed in the budget without proper opportunity for public review and debate https://t.co/IqEAzgavvC pic.twitter.com/mi3MV0M6Yt
— Florida TaxWatch (@FloridaTaxWatch) May 24, 2021
In total, the Florida Legislature passed a $101.5 billion budget, and 116 spending items were deemed “Budget Turkeys” coming out to $157.5 million.
TaxWatch points out the number of “Turkeys” could have been worse, given the economic impact of COVID-19 on much of the Florida economy. However, they still contend the dollars spent by the legislature, Florida’s taxpayer dollars, deserved to be reviewed and determined for necessity.
“Still, there remains to be excessive spending on local projects. While many of these projects are worthwhile, some are harder to justify. This is especially true when you consider that while the pandemic also negatively impacted local government, they have also received $3.7 billion federal aid and $7 billion more is coming to them from the ARP [American Rescue Plan]. This is the equivalent of a more than 30 percent property tax increase for cities, counties, and special districts. Moreover, the way local projects are earmarked for funding, often without formal, competitive selection processes, leaves doubt that taxpayers’ best interests are being advanced.”
In the report, TaxWatch breaks the “Turkeys” down into categories like “Beach Projects,” “Local Parks,” and “Transportation Projects Not in the Work Program.” Notably, the transportation category features 65 projects that the Florida Department of Transportation is not considering for their active FDOT Work Program. One of the projects, the North Ridge Trail in Polk County, is costing nine million dollars despite not being an active project for FDOT. It is the most expensive project in its category.
Among the recommendations TaxWatch offers to curb the spending they see as “excessive,” is implementing a “competitive selection process” for numerous categories of spending.
“The lack of a systematic review and selection process in some areas of the budget has become a glaring problem. Member projects are peppered throughout the budget, but there are several line-items where one can count on numerous projects ending up. To make sure that these projects are prioritized, funded with a coordinated, statewide vision, compete for limited funding fairly, and meet specified requirements to qualify for funding, Florida TaxWatch recommends that, if the Legislature is going to fund such projects, it creates a competitive review and selection process in statute.”
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
