TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL/AP) - A Tallahassee group with close business ties is urging that Gov. Rick Scott veto more than $100 million worth of projects included in the new state budget.
Florida TaxWatch on Thursday said it had found 107 items worth nearly $107 million that should be considered for vetoes.
Scott has until May 24 to act on the budget and is unlikely to announce his decisions until next week.
TaxWatch officials maintain they are not questioning the merit of the projects, but that they identified spending items added with little scrutiny and outside the normal budget process.
This year TaxWatch criticized millions set aside in construction projects for colleges, including $14 million for a building at Gulf State College and $9 million for a lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Locally the list includes seven projects in north Florida counties:
GADSDEN
$100,000 - Sheriff's Community and Recreational Center-acquisition and renovation
JACKSON
$6 million - Old Jackson County (Marianna) High School
LEON
$100,000 - Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter Bar Association
$1 million - Wildlife Foundation of Florida
$100,000 - Joseph Franklin House - Leon County
LIBERTY
$100,000 - Sheriff's Administration Building - replacement
$400,000 - Hosford Local Park
