To help preserve rural Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new round of state grants totaling $311 million to bolster infrastructure in some of Florida’s less populated areas.

“There’s a lot of flavors in Florida, but Miami is not for everybody,” DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday in Sebring. “Having the old Florida is important for our culture. It’s important for our economy, and ultimately I think it’s something that we have to preserve.”

Some of the projects getting state funding are from Senate President Ben Albritton’s district.

“It helps to have the President of the Florida Senate be from Wauchula and Hardee County,” DeSantis said. “Ben Albritton, he’s a good guy.”

Wauchula will get a $2.4 million grant “to support wastewater system repairs, rehabilitation and floodwater,” the Governor said, while Hardee County will receive $1.9 million to clean up the Peace River.

Other grants include $22 million to the city of Avon Park in Highlands County for the city’s sanitary sewer collection system and $3 million for the Sebring Airport Authority to demolish and replace the existing stormwater system and handle other infrastructure needs at the Sebring Regional Airport and Multimodal Logistics Center.

For the Avon City project, “I know people have been asking for that for a long time. So we delivered on that,” DeSantis said.

DeSanis also announced about $16 million in Citrus County for replacing the sanitary sewer system and nearly $6 million in Bradford County for road improvement projects. Jacksonville Electric Authority will get $20 million to redirect wastewater flows to JEA’s existing wastewater treatment facility.

“Some of this stuff, honestly, isn’t sexy, but it’s important,” DeSantis added.

Baker County’s Macclenny will get nearly $8 million to improve the Ohio Street Water Treatment Plant, as well as almost $5 million to the city of Palatka in Putnam County to enhance and expand its wastewater treatment plant, plus $14 million in the town of Arcadia in DeSoto County to widen the main stormwater channel.

DeSantis also said the state is giving $13.5 million in grants for 11 small rural infrastructure projects.

“I bring like $20 million to Miami, and it’s like not a big deal,” DeSantis said. “The money goes farther in some of the rural (areas) and so we’re happy to be able to be a champion for rural Florida.”

DeSantis, who has been pushing to repeal property taxes, is also facing criticism that his plan could disproportionately harm rural communities, according to a new study released this week by the Florida League of Cities.

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia rolled out additional stipulations Thursday in his proposed legislation to tighten spending plans for local governments in Florida.

On the heels of his initial announcement on Wednesday, Ingoglia held another news conference in Winter Park to outline additional elements of legislative proposals he wants state lawmakers to consider during the Florida Legislative Session, which begins Jan. 13.

Ingoglia announced that the proposed measures would require local governments to post all proposed budgets in easily accessible online formats at least two weeks before annual budget hearings begin at the regional level. Any budget amendments should be posted online seven days before hearings.

“Too often local budgets are being passed that local taxpayers cannot follow,” Ingoglia said during his Central Florida appearance.

Ingoglia added that he wants to “mandate” that all municipal governments review all proposed annual budgets and identify at least 10% of their spending plans that could be eliminated. He said that would exclude spending on police, fire and public safety departments.

Ingoglia said the proposed legislation would also eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) awards by local governments to contractors for municipal projects. Sometimes, there are incentives for letting contracts to companies that engage in DEI considerations, a move Ingoglia called “division, exclusion and indoctrination.”

He said awarding contracts should be based only on merit and price.

Thursday’s announcements were additions to Ingoglia’s initial announcement the day before on proposed legislation. He’s been visiting several counties since the Summer and has ripped at least 11 local governments for what he calls overspending and overtaxation. He concluded his tour of different counties and cities on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County, where he blasted the government for “wasteful and excessive” spending.

To bring some of that municipal spending under control, Ingoglia’s proposed legislation would establish what he calls the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) as a permanent initiative and agency. And there are several other elements to the legislation.

Ingoglia said he already has several members of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate who are willing to sponsor the bills. He added that Gov. Ron DeSantis is encouraged by the proposals as well.

Rep. Yvette Benarroch, a Naples Republican, was at Thursday’s event and said she’s thrilled to back Ingoglia’s proposed legislation.

“It’s about trust, respect and most of all the taxpayers who pay the bills,” Benarroch said.