The governor announced state awards totaling about $167.5 million to support rural and storm-damaged communities across North Central Florida and the Panhandle, listing grants for water and wastewater systems, emergency sheltering and hospital resilience.

The awards include $36,000,000 to Taylor County through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program and the state rural infrastructure fund; $12,000,000 for Perry to build a new parallel treatment train; $8,500,000 for wastewater infrastructure upgrades; and $4,400,000 to Doctors Memorial Hospital to install whole-facility emergency power, modernize phones and update water treatment systems. The governor said additional awards will go to the Big Bend Water Authority, Jackson County, Cedar Key, Carabelle, Gretna, Monticello, Port Saint Joe and multiple small towns.

Many of the grants are aimed at hardening systems against future storms, the governor said, including installing standby generators, elevating electrical and mechanical components, rehabilitating wells and force mains, and improving stormwater drainage. He described the funding as part of a broader rural infrastructure program and a partnership with local officials: “every single one of these grants is a partnership and a relationship with a community,” Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly said.

Details the governor listed included: $4,500,000 to the Big Bend Water Authority to repair critical water mains in Steinhatchee; $7,300,000 for Cedar Key potable water hardening and $4,100,000 to harden Cedar Key’s wastewater treatment plant; $25,000,000 to rebuild and strengthen the Port Saint Joe wastewater treatment facility; $3,200,000 for a new well and pumping equipment in Jackson County; and a package of awards to 10 small communities totaling $8,500,000 for critical infrastructure projects. The governor summarized current-year and Panhandle-specific funding as $17,000,000 and $5,000,000 respectively, and an overall total of roughly $167.5 million for rural communities.

The announcements are allocations by the executive branch and grant programs; the governor described them as part of the state’s rural infrastructure fund and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery allocations. Local officials present were named by the secretary of commerce as project partners who took the governor on site visits. The state will work with counties and local utilities on implementation and project monitoring.

The governor closed the segment by emphasizing long-term recovery and readiness: “we said we're in it for the long haul.” The administration indicated further project-level details and implementation timetables will be handled by state agencies and local partners going forward.