Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's FY2026-27 budget Monday at $117.6 billion, after issuing roughly $810 million in line-item vetoes for his final budget as governor. The total budget is about $600 million less than last year's.
For Atlantic Beach, the outcome was a split decision: one requested project was cut, one state ask remains unresolved, two local infrastructure projects came through, and a major statewide resilience fund that the city is counting on survived intact.
Sailfish Drive Path Cut
The state Legislature had included $195,000 for the Sailfish Drive multi-use path in this year's budget, but the governor vetoed it along with numerous other local projects, as reported by JaxToday, across Northeast Florida.
City Manager Kevin Hogencamp said the project will come back before the City Commission at an upcoming meeting so members can decide whether to pursue alternative funding. He also shared the updates for other funding requests.
Sherman Creek Requests
Atlantic Beach will receive $650,000 for the Sherman Creek Dredging and Bank Stabilization project. That request's outcome is separate from a $1 million federal FY2026-27 community funding request the city has active in the legislative queue for the same waterway.
Two More Wins
Two smaller infrastructure requests were also funded:
The Dora Drive Stormwater Mitigation Pond received $212,500. The project is engineered to protect 92 structures from 25-year flood events.
The Marsh Oaks Septic Tank Elimination project received $200,000, continuing the city's phased septic-to-sewer conversion effort in that low-lying, flood-prone neighborhood.
Resilient Florida Funding Intact
The governor approved the full request for Resilient Florida implementation funding, $160 million statewide. According to the city's grant writer, that keeps Atlantic Beach's Resilient Lift Station Project (Phase I) on track for approximately $1.34 million in state matching funds.
The grant would fund flood-proofing for five of the city's most vulnerable lift stations: Mimosa Cove, Lakeside, Palm Avenue, 11th Street, and Camelia Street. A formal announcement from the Governor's Office is expected in the coming days.
