House, Senate reach budget deal that includes additional $21M for water projects

"The House also put forward $21 million in additional water projects, which is in on top of the list of 171 projects worth $123 million agreed to Sunday night. The biggest projects on the list are $2.8 million for the St. Augustine Port, Waterway, and Beach Districts, and $2 million for a wastewater project in Flagler County."

TALLAHASSEE -- House and Senate budget negotiators finalized the roughly $80 billion 2016-17 state budget Monday night, in the process growing the overall spending plan by $123 million.

The increased spending came largely from supplemental funding lists, known as “sprinkle lists” in Capitol parlance, that emerge at the end of final budget negotiations. The lists were unveiled during a 9 p.m. budget meeting. The House proposed $30 million in additional spending, while the Senate had $72 million in additional funding.

On the lists was a $25 million boost for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, including a 3 percent increase for residential habilitation services, which amounts to nearly $11 million.

Other things on the last-minute spending list include $11 million proposed by the Senate for the University of North Florida’s Skinner Jones Hall. Budget negotiators said the project had support throughout the process, but had slipped through the cracks. The Senate also put forward $10 million for the Department of State’s cultural grant list.