Florida’s biggest “budget turkey” this year is associated with a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Florida TaxWatch, an influential fiscal watchdog group, has released its annual report on “budget turkeys.” The term refers to appropriations that the group says weren’t properly vetted or didn't go through the normal legislative process.
The group called out $50 million for Hillsborough College improvements associated with a proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium being eyed for one of its campuses.
The $2.3 billion stadium would be built on land now used by the college's Dale Mabry campus as part of a multi-use development. The state would rebuild the campus on another part of the 130-acre plot.
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Florida lawmakers passed a $114.5 billion budget last month. Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to sign it — or to announce what parts he’ll veto.
Florida TaxWatch says there are 621 turkeys this year, reaching nearly $830 million.
"Both budget turkeys and member projects have proliferated at an accelerated rate in recent years,” said Jeff Kottkamp, its president and CEO, in a Monday press conference. “This is a trend we believe is wholly unsustainable."
The identified turkeys include $5 million for a Florida State University basketball training facility, $1 million for the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, and a number of local water projects.
And the group flags another $441 million in appropriations it says aren't turkeys but should get more scrutiny.
Most of the turkeys and other appropriations Florida TaxWatch deems questionable are member projects, which refer to funding items lawmakers seek out for their districts.
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The budget for next year holds around $2.7 billion in member projects, according to TaxWatch. That number was just $450 million in 2019.
The report says the average senator secured funding for about 45 local projects worth roughly $60 million, while the average House member got about 15 projects worth around $20 million.
“Spending should make a positive, lasting difference in our communities, but at the same time, there must be transparency and opportunities for public input before a project makes it in the budget,” Kottkamp said.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
