Governor Ron DeSantis Proposes One-Time Bonus of $1,000 to Florida First Responders.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has outlined his thoughts on economic recovery in the state of Florida. The Governor outlined several items. One headline was the Governor is recommended that all first responders, police, EMTs, firefighters, and others should receive a one-time $1,000 bonus.
Gov. DeSantis would like to provide the one-time payments to “full-time sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians.” The reason for the proposed bonuses toward these individuals, per the Governor... “with what they have had to deal with”.
Gov. DeSantis is hoping that other fiscal distribution can be used to improve the state’s infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
A brief outline of some of the plan.
Assistance to Floridians
·$208.4 million -- Direct payments to pandemic first responders
·$73.2 million -- Re-employment assistance modernization
·$56.6 million -- Re-employment assistance operations
·$72 million -- Behavioral Health System modernization
Economic Development and Recovery
·$258.2 million -- Relief for Florida’s Seaports
·$150 million -- Florida Job Growth Grant Fund
·$50 million -- VISIT FLORIDA
·$50 million -- Economic Development Transportation Fund
Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Readiness
·$938.4 million -- Transportation Work Program
·$1 billion -- Resilient Florida Grant Program
·$1 billion -- Emergency Management Response Fund
·$41.7 million -- Florida National Guard expansion
Workforce Training and Research
·$125 million -- Education and Employment Training Program
·$60 million -- Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grants
·$10 million -- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program
There is no timeline on potential disbursement for these proposals. The governor’s proposals total $4.1 billion, with $1.4 billion being recommended for immediate use during the current fiscal year.
Governor DeSantis is requesting that the legislature put a portion of the funds aside to evaluate Florida’s economic recovery throughout this year. He wants to leave money to make additional appropriations at a later time if needed.
To read the governor’s letter that outlines the recommendations, click here.
You can also find his budget recommendations by clicking here.