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Highlands County lobbyist reports $500,000 for Lake Placid fire station, $1.3 million for drainage work
Summary
Halsey Beshears, Highlands County's contracted Tallahassee lobbyist, updated commissioners on the past legislative session and reported county wins: roughly $500,000 toward a Lake Placid fire station and about $1.3 million for Thunderbird Road drainage improvements. He urged early engagement before the 2026 session.
Halsey Beshears, Highlands County's contracted lobbyist in Tallahassee, told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 4 that the county secured state funding for two local projects during the most recent legislative session.
Beshares, who described his recent work representing Highlands County, said, "We weren't able to secure the full $7,000,000 for the fire station, but we did get $500,000. We got around $1,300,000 for the drainage improvements." He recommended early planning for the 2026 session so the county is not "behind the 8 ball" when bills and appropriations are moving.
The news matters because both projects were county priorities. Commissioners and staff had sought state appropriations for a Lake Placid fire station and for drainage work on Thunderbird Road. Beshears said the mix of local contribution and state funding can improve a request's chance for consideration in Tallahassee.
Commissioners asked Beshears to continue coordinating with state legislators and to press for another appropriation for the fire station in the next session. Beshears said he will remain in the county ahead of the January 2026 session and is willing to meet with commissioners and county staff to prepare requests.
Beshares also briefed the board on the broader political context he expects to affect state appropriations next winter, citing an outgoing governor and leadership turnover in the Legislature. He said those factors can slow action on new spending but advised persistent engagement with legislators.
The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation. County staff later confirmed the projects cited by Beshears: a partial state appropriation for the Lake Placid fire station and funding awarded for drainage work in the Thunderbird Road area.
Beshares' remarks were part of the commission's recognition and presentations segment and followed remarks introducing him and his firm.
