More than a dozen Bay area businesses and organizations now find themselves on the governor's veto list.
“Well of course we were disappointed, but we knew going in this was going to be a tough budget year for the state," said Jill Witecki of the Tampa Theatre.
Jill Witecki and the Tampa Theatre were hoping to get $1 million to kick-start their efforts to replace their current electrical system. But the funds got the ax and now it'll take the theatre a little longer to flip the switch.
“Some of the systems in the building are original to 1926, chief among them being our electrical system,” said Witecki. “[The vetoed] money was going to help move us a little bit faster down the road to doing some of the electrical upgrades."
But the theatre isn't the only place feeling the cuts. IMG Academy in Bradenton took a more than $2 million hit. The Tampa Bay History Center won't get $2.5 million in funding and the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport won't get the $3 million they were expecting.
“We are disappointed that this $3 million veto occurred because it would've brought highly skilled, good paying jobs to our community," said Hernando County spokeswoman Virginia Singer.
Hernando County officials said the money would've helped pay for a maintenance facility that would allow large airplanes to be repaired in Hernando. But now the plans are on hold.
But the budget wasn’t all bad news, though. The governor did approve millions for the USF Morsani College of Medicine to build a campus in downtown Tampa.
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Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn released a statement saying:
"Until today, we have been cautiously optimistic that this project would move forward. Thanks to the strong commitment of the entire Hillsborough County legislative delegation and the support of Governor Rick Scott, we know today that this project will come to fruition."
Mayor Buckhorn’s complete statement on USF budget approval:
“The relocation of the USF’s Morsani College of Medicine to downtown Tampa has consistently won support from the USF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors. Until today, we have been cautiously optimistic that this project would move forward. Thanks to the strong commitment of the entire Hillsborough County legislative delegation and the support of Governor Rick Scott, we know today that this project will come to fruition.
“The new school will anchor the new development set to transform our southern downtown waterfront. Students, researchers, and medical professionals will now have immediate access to Tampa General Hospital in addition to the amenities that downtown has to offer.
“For years to come, the University of South Florida and our urban core will continue to grow and flourish together.”
Tampa Bay History Center’s statement on veto:
We appreciate the support of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation and we’re grateful for the Governor’s consideration, we know he had some difficult decisions to make. The History Center will continue to offer outstanding educational programs and exhibits for the Tampa Bay community and people visiting the bay area, and we'll explore other means to fund our longer-term goals.
Manny Leto
Director of Marketing
Tampa Bay History Center
All Children’s Hospital statement on veto:
The pediatric research zone is a project leading advancements in diagnosis and treatment of pediatric illnesses affecting Florida’s children and their families. This will attract new pediatric scientists, researchers and support a research platform that could facilitate growth of the state’s emerging leadership in the biotechnology industry.
We are disappointed in the Governor’s veto of this important project that not only focuses on pediatric research in genetics, cancer and neurology, to name a few, but also brings high paying jobs to Florida and the Tampa Bay region. As a prominent pediatric teaching hospital and research institution, All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine is focused on finding cures today for tomorrow’s pediatric illnesses. We will continue to bring high paying jobs and critical research to Florida and the Tampa Bay region.
Amy Maguire
Vice President, Government, Corporate and Community Relations
University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft's statement on budget approval:
“I would like to thank Governor Scott for approving the funding for two major capital projects that will improve the educational experiences of University of South Florida System students and the economic vitality of the Tampa Bay region for years to come. Thanks to the hard work of our local legislators, and with Governor Scott’s approval today, USF St. Petersburg will complete the construction of its new Kate Tiedemann College of Business facility in time for the Fall 2016 semester and USF will embark on its next major transformative project, the USF Health in downtown Tampa initiative.”