Seminole County Chamber’s Support for Local Funding Appropriations

Every year, communities across Florida depend on funding from the Florida Legislature to help so many facets of our state. The impact of appropriations on local non-profits, government and other entities is significant.

Over the past few weeks, the Seminole County Chamber looked for ways to ensure the members of the chamber can find funding to meet their critical missions. As such, the Seminole County Chamber encourages state legislators to push for the following appropriation requests and for Governor Ron DeSantis to approve the following requests.

In addition, the chamber encourages its members to reach out to their state legislators and encourage these to be added to the 2024-25 budget of the State of Florida.

Recovery Connections of Central Florida ($525,000):
Funding will be used to allow Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) to provide mobile recovery support services to help people struggling with substance use issues. With lived experience, the CRPS team is uniquely positioned to encourage and provide hope, listen without judgment, and help navigate the world of recovery. Partnering with social services providers to take these services into the community breaks down barriers to care and meets people where they are. House request 1237 and Senate request 1062.

Rescue Outreach Mission ($500,000):
Funding will be used to provide Case Management within 72 hours of guest arrival, procure food for each guest for three meals/day, staff facility for 24-hour operation, facilitate resource fairs each Tuesday, provide access to medical and occupational resources, budget and financial training. ROM is able to serve over 600 citizens a year with a budget of only $1.2 million. House request 1028 and Senate request 1061.

Seminole County Public Schools ($3 million):
Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) seeks to expand the Cybersecurity Program (CyberHawks) at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Florida. In alignment with the Regional Demand Occupations List - Region 12, this expansion will provide instructional spaces, relevant content, & industry-standard experiences in collaborative and competitive learning environments. Working in collaboration with private, public, and military partners, this program will expand cybersecurity pipelines & pathways. House request 1301 and Senate request 2495.

Seminole State College ($36 million):
The primary goal for this project is to improve health care access across the central Florida region by increasing the number of graduates from the college health care programs, including nursing. This increased capacity for graduates will help fill the large gaps in regional and statewide workforce needs and provide a highly trained and skilled workforce in high-demand healthcare areas. Jobs will also be created during construction and support regional economic development. House request 1996 and Senate request 1116

Seminole State College ($3 million):
Between 2010 and 2014, the Legislature provided $25 million to the college to purchase the abandoned Holler Auto dealership properties adjacent to the original campus for purposes of future growth. The current request is for funding to remodel one of the abandoned buildings into a Student Center to house admissions, registration, transcript, financial aid, veterans, disability, and other services on this campus. This will free up additional space for classrooms and labs in the original building. House request 1997 and Senate request 1115

Seminole State College ($102,792):
Medical Laboratory Technology is a high-demand program, and CareerSource Central Florida projects a job growth rate for this field of over 15% through 2030. Seminole State College is requesting PECO funding to remodel existing instructional space in its main campus building into a vocational lab suitable to provide instruction for this new program. This remodel includes new building infrastructure needed for lab work and specialized furniture, fixtures and equipment. House request 1998 and Senate request 1117

Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative ($250,000):
The funding will empower veteran-led technology companies by providing comprehensive technical training and specialized assistance as they develop cutting-edge solutions, ensuring they can offer new and improved health care services and products, not only accelerating the journey to commercialization but also making a positive impact on the health care industry. House request 1238 and Senate request 1019

To review these requests and others, please click here for the House of Representatives and here for the Florida Senate