SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – News 6 is taking a closer look at the cuts from Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ $116.5 billion state budget and how they’re impacting Central Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Money for a homeless shelter in DeLand and children’s mental health resources at Camp Boggy Creek are among the items that didn’t make it in, along with efforts to mitigate flooding in communities hit hard by the 2022 hurricane.
In Seminole County, $1 million for drainage improvements in the Midway community was among the projects on the veto list. The county said it should not impact the project, considering more than $20 million is needed for the work officials are planning.
A spokesperson for the county told News 6 the money from the state budget would have recouped some of that cost, but ultimately it will not affect the plans.
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Midway, which sits north of the Orlando Sanford International Airport, is a historic community that has experienced flooding for years.
Rainfall flooded streets and homes during Hurricane Ian in the fall. Video shared by the Midway Coalition shows the water flowing from newer developments down into the lower-lying Midway community.
Emory Green has lived there his whole life. He said Midway, which was established during the celery boom in the 1920s, does not have the same capacity for water as larger and newer subdivisions. It’s a dynamic that has led to decades of documented flooding concerns.
“Most, if not a large portion, of these subdivisions did not retain their water as designed,” Green said.
Green showed our News 6 team an area near Beardall Avenue and Washington Street that was underwater during Hurricane Ian, pointing out where the water came from.
“This entire area that we’re in, water was literally up to our ankles,” Green said. “All of the water in this ditch was completely overflowed. That is a major problem with every home that is in Midway on septic tanks.”
Green said despite the governor cutting some funding for the drainage improvements, both he and the county remain committed to making the changes necessary for Midway.
A parcel of land on Beardall Avenue has already been purchased, just part of the plans to upgrade the infrastructure. Plans are underway to add a new network of piping and ponds for water storage.
“They’re right at about 60% of the planning phase, and we are in communication, constantly trying to figure out what the next steps are,” Green said.
For Green, it’s a priority for the place he calls home.
“If you have children, then you understand that you want to leave something better for your children. My children live here. My children attend Midway Elementary School, the same school I went to,” Green said. “There’s a legacy. There’s a history there, and personally I’m proud of the legacy that has been established and we’re going to continue to honor that legacy by doing the work.”
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