Cedar Key, Cross City, Live Oak and Dixie County were among 17 communities that were selected for Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) Awards on Friday.
According to a press release from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office, the four area communities received nearly $4 million of the $20 million in awards to small county governments and rural municipalities. The funds will go toward infrastructure and strengthen the rural economies.
“Florida is committed to supporting our rural communities and providing the resources they need for economic growth,” said DeSantis in the press release. “These investments will support infrastructure improvement, attract businesses and create long-term economic success.”
The RIF program supports the financing and planning of infrastructure projects in rural communities to attract businesses and drive growth. In 2024, FloridaCommerce received a record 93 applications requesting over $115 million. The entire $20 million allocated to the program has been awarded to 17 communities, including Cedar Key and Cross City, which were previously announced as recipients. The program has awarded over $90 million since 2019.
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to prioritize our rural communities,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly in the press release. “These strategic, targeted investments are focused on job creators – these funds will immediately create new jobs and ready sites for new business in the heart of Florida for generations to come.”
The following communities will receive funds through the RIF Program:
- Cedar Key Water & Sewer District ($2,500,000) – to continue rehabilitating 17 lift stations following Hurricane Idalia, which caused significant flooding and operational failures.
- Town of Cross City ($620,000) – to evaluate and improve the town’s three potable wells, potentially adding a fourth, to maintain and support the water plant.
- Dixie County ($300,000) – to develop a master plan to improve Cross City Airport’s primary access road.
- City of Live Oak ($559,365) – to rehabilitate an existing lift station with new equipment and infrastructure to increase capacity, improve reliability, and support city growth.
Taking money from prosperous communities and giving it to locations that have failed to get their act together and fend for themselves. Florida is full of failing rural towns and villages and there is not enough money to subsidize all of them.
FEMA has approved $115 million to reimburse Florida communities for emergency work after Hurricanes Milton, Helene, and Debby.
$38 million for Sarasota County.
$24 million for Pasco County.
$37 million for St. Petersburg.
$6 million for Lee County.
$2.5 million for Tarpon Springs.
$1.5 million for Brevard County.
$6.2 million for Clearwater.
There are plenty of “prosperous communities” on this list that have gladly taken taxpayer-money that has been paid in part by those in “failing rural towns and villages.”
As for your suggestion that “there is not enough money to subsidize all of them,” please keep in mind that the Federal government has sent $183 BILLION (not millions) to Ukraine with absolutely no accountability.
Finally… many people in “prospering cities” all over Florida have moved away from high cost of living and high crime rates to live in the peaceful rural towns that have grown the past few years by almost 5%.
90% of money congress allocated for Ukraine goes to US manufacturing companies making military machinery and weaponry.
That comes out to $164 BILLION and $700 million taxpayer dollars that feed the Military Industrial Complex that comes from the Pentagon. The same Pentagon that spends approximately $886 BILLION on weapons manufacturing. The same Pentagon that has been unable to account for where and how the money is spent. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will find the waste. The DOGE dept. will be able to cut billions out of a bloated government agency that (like most of them) will NOW be held accountable. They will answer to the people they serve. With a total of 438 government agencies, the DOGE will be very busy slashing the waste, fraud, and corruption.
FINALLY!!!
Please expand your reporting on this to explain where the RIF funding came from. Wasn’t it from the federal government, from the Biden Administration that’s been made available to states? Give credit where credit it due.
Yes, these are federal funds increased under Biden’s Infrastructure Bill. On one day the Governor curses Biden and on the next day hands out money from Biden, pretending like it’s his and his idea. This is not how a governor should act
I’d like to know how the congressmen for those areas voted on the infrastructure bill. I’ll guess they opposed it, as good MAGAs do, but are not ashamed to take credit. Same with DeSantis.
I agree with Susan Bottcher that it is important for you to cite where this Infrastructure money came from. Is it from the-Biden initiated Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that flows through the states? Please update this report so that citizens are aware of the results of our elected officials.