JJ Grow seeks road concurrency for small counties

Rep. JJ Grow has a plan for Session:

Concentrate on the job at hand.

“My approach is to keep my head down and work hard on my bills,” Grow, an Inverness Republican, said.

Grow is starting his second Regular Session after being elected to the open House District 23 seat in 2024.

In his freshman year, Grow helped pass a Citrus County local bill to clarify the sheriff’s oversight of agency employees.

Another bill that would have allowed transportation concurrency for counties with populations under 200,000 passed the House unanimously but never reached the Senate floor for a vote.

That bill is back, and Grow is confident of its success.

“Get it so these developments will share in the cost of transportation,” he said.

Concurrency is designed to ensure roads have sufficient capacity to accommodate the additional traffic from new development.

HB 97 allows small counties to set road levels of service in capital improvement plans, providing a baseline for new developments.

Ocala Republican Sen. Stan McClain, who sponsored the Senate companion last year, is doing the same this year in S 324.

Grow has also joined the chorus calling for property tax reform. He sponsored HJR 903, which would place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to limit the annual increase in taxable value of non-homestead property to 3%. It’s currently set at 10%.

Grow said he believes some changes are needed.

“I totally understand why people are anxious right now. Affordable has become almost unaffordable,” he said. “Between property tax, home insurance, car insurance, and inflation, it’s gotten to a point where it’s hard to cover your expenses and have a little money to live on.”

Grow’s other bills include HB 95, which allows a pathway for trained volunteers to provide armed security at houses of worship.

“Faith communities across Florida have repeatedly expressed concerns about safety during worship,” he said. “Many congregations — especially small and rural ones — lack the resources to hire licensed security professionals but still face credible risks.”