Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Rep. Gervonta Edmonds briefs council on 2025 Tallahassee session, highlights water funding efforts
Summary
Florida Rep. Gervonta Edmonds told Riviera Beach council members the 2025 legislative session ran 105 days, that he secured appropriations for local public‑safety projects and that a $750,000 water‑plant appropriation was vetoed by the governor.
State Representative Gervonta Edmonds (House District 88) delivered a legislative update to the Riviera Beach City Council describing highlights of the 2025 session and funding efforts for local projects.
Edmonds said the 2025 legislative session ran 105 days (an extra 45 days beyond the typical 60‑day session) and that the Legislature considered about 2,000 bills. He told council he helped secure funding for a law enforcement training facility and that he and Senator Bobby Powell previously helped obtain appropriations for a Riviera Beach fire station and a water lift station. Edmonds said a $750,000 appropriation for a new water plant was included in a package the governor ultimately vetoed.
Edmonds summarized state budget highlights he said would affect constituents: a $117 billion state budget; approximately $47 billion allocated to health care (the only budget category that did not decrease in his description); a $4 billion program to help scholarships for private schools; an increase to reserves of about $15 billion; and a $567 million line‑item veto by the governor. He also noted law enforcement pay boosts (a 10% increase generally, 15% for those with five+ years of service), pilot rules banning cell phones in K‑8 classrooms, and creation of a permanent back‑to‑school holiday in early August.
On housing and homeowner assistance, Edmonds discussed the My Safe Florida Home program — a $10,000 grant for home hardening — and house‑buying assistance programs (Hometown Heroes, SHIP). He said the Legislature had not resolved insurance cost issues and that the Select Committee on Property Tax Relief was considering five proposals; Edmonds said any proposal to eliminate property tax would require placing the change on a 2026 ballot.
Council members briefly questioned why some water projects were vetoed; Edmonds said vetoes are common and that decisions sometimes reflected the governor’s priorities.
Edmonds offered to host a “My Safe Florida Home” sign‑up event and provided his contact information to council and residents.
