🛡️ Marco Island & Naples Dodge DeSantis’ Budget Veto Pen

Residents of Marco Island and Naples received some good budget news this week.

When Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s new $117.6 billion state budget, he vetoed roughly $1.6 billion in spending across hundreds of projects statewide. However, Collier County escaped without losing any major local infrastructure or hometown appropriations. (Florida Governor’s Office)

✅ Good News for Collier County

Unlike neighboring counties—including Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, and DeSoto, which saw millions of dollars in local projects eliminated—Collier County avoided major local project vetoes. That means funding for many local priorities remains intact while other parts of Southwest Florida will have to seek funding again in future legislative sessions. (Florida Governor’s Office)

One Notable Exception

The governor’s veto list does include one item affecting Collier County:

• Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) – 100 new Collier County slots were vetoed, representing about $2.32 million in proposed funding. This was part of a broader statewide reduction in new PACE expansions rather than a local infrastructure project. (Florida Governor’s Office)

Neighboring Counties Were Hit

Some nearby projects that didn’t survive include:

• 🚴 Lee County: Trail and bike/pedestrian improvements

• 🚦 Charlotte County: Traffic resiliency and stormwater projects

• 💧 Hendry County: Wastewater improvements

• 🛣️ DeSoto County: Road expansion and animal control funding

Bottom Line

For residents of Marco Island, Naples, and most of Collier County, the budget outcome was largely positive. While much of Florida saw hometown projects lose funding, Collier County was largely spared the governor’s veto pen, with the primary local impact being the loss of proposed expansion funding for the PACE program serving seniors.

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