New Florida Budget Means $378 For Every Escambia Resident

April 18, 2012

The Florida budget signed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott will funnel $378.96 into Escambia County for every man, woman and child that calls the county home. Overall, the 2012-2013 budget will mean an allocation of $112,784,552 to the county to be spent on specific projects.

But across the Panhandle, the budget is better news for some counties — like Walton at the top of the sate funding list  with $3,881.75 in allocations for each resident, or $213,663,028 total. The budget numbers, however, might leave officials in Santa Rosa or Okaloosa counties feeling a bit shortchanged. Santa Rosa will receive $29,898,302 in allocations ($157.33 per person), while Okaloosa County will see $22,446,336 ($124.13 per resident).

Amount per resident based upon population according to the 2010 Census:

  • Escambia — $378.96
  • Santa Rosa  — $157.33
  • Okaloosa — $124.13
  • Walton $3,881.75
  • Holmes $185.62
  • Washington $2,548.61
  • Bay $352.84

Total dollars received by each county:

  • Escambia — $112,784,552
  • Santa Rosa — $29,898,302
  • Okaloosa — $22,446,336
  • Walton — $213,663,028
  • Holmes — $3,698,876
  • Washington – $63,450,299
  • Bay — $59,577,857

According to data released by the Legislature this week, Hillsborough County topped the list with more than $1.2 billion, while Miami-Dade lawmakers took home almost $1.1 billion for their constituents. Alachua County — home to the University of Florida — was third with just shy of $527 million, followed by Duval County with $518.7 million. Only two counties were allocated less than $1 million: Baker County, which received just $312,085, and Lafayette, with $54,893.

On a per capita basis using the 2010 Census, Walton County was the top recipient of state money, taking in $3,881.75. Two more counties hauled in at least $2,500 a head: Madison County, at $2,702.44, and Washington, with $2,548.61 a person. Seven counties pulled in less than $100 per person, including Martin, Gilchrist, Taylor, Indian River, Citrus, Baker and Lafayette, which hit the bottom of the list at $6.19 per resident.

The News Service Florida contributed to this report.

Comments

8 Responses to “New Florida Budget Means $378 For Every Escambia Resident”

  1. payingattention on April 20th, 2012 12:04 am

    this money did not just pop up from no where. You can believe it is money that was just recently cut from some needed project or fund like ARC or medication help for our elderly. Put this money back in it’s original place and use it as it was intended to be used in the frist place, not some smoke screen to make the govener look better at relection time.

  2. wrj on April 19th, 2012 9:00 am

    To TaxPayer–

    Well said. All I can say is “Ditto”

  3. Robb D. Blind on April 18th, 2012 11:50 pm

    Just more: Smoke and Mirrors

  4. SW on April 18th, 2012 7:04 pm

    So the state has enough money that it can give some back?

    Would this money have been just as well left in the counties from whence it came?

    Isn’t this a form of redistribution?

  5. State Employee on April 18th, 2012 12:46 pm

    Well, isn’t this interesting?! Our Governor is a ’slick ole boy’. He’s closing prisons across the state, putting hundreds of people out of work, but he’s found all this money to “give” to the counties……

    I really hope the people of this state are paying attention. BEFORE you vote, PLEASE do your homework. There are so many citizens that don’t have a clue about what is going on across the state….the things “our fine Gov’nor ” is doing.

    Hopefully, those of us in the north end of the state will still have jobs when it’s election time. I wonder what he’ll decide to do with the inmates when we don’t have anywhere to put them….since he’s closing institutions….putting folks out of work during bad economics times…… Awe, he’ll probably let them out for good behavior, or something like that.

  6. tax payer on April 18th, 2012 10:39 am

    $378.96 per resident. Can I have mine now? I need to put gas in my truck and this should about cover it.

  7. Trish on April 18th, 2012 9:33 am

    Ok, you have got to be kidding me! We owe the state for something like 6.2 million dollars for Medicaid bills and the county is running around like chickens with their head cut off trying to figure out where in the world they are going to get the money. Now our brilliant gov. signed a bill that will give Escambia county over 112 million dollars for the number of residents in our county. Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous and our state governments elevators don’t stop at all of the floors? What is wrong with these people?

  8. barrineau on April 18th, 2012 9:15 am

    So in simple folk talk , what does this mean to little ole me? How will these funds be used?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News