Governor's Veto Pen Trims Lakeland to a Single Project — Here's What Survived and What Didn't

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed three of Lakeland's four state funding requests when he signed Florida's 2026-27 budget on Monday, June 29, cutting the city's expected haul from $3.115 million down to a single $1 million project. The reductions stall an emergency-radio upgrade and a west-side septic-to-sewer effort that reach directly into how quickly first responders can communicate and how six local neighborhoods get off aging septic tanks.

According to local news reports, the governor approved $117.6 billion in overall spending while striking nearly $810 million in line items statewide. Lakeland originally asked for $4.115 million across four projects; lawmakers trimmed that to $3.115 million during the session, and the governor's veto pen did the rest.

What Lakeland asked for — and what it got

Only one of the city's four priorities made it through untouched.

Project	Requested	Final
San Gully Drainage Stabilization	$1M	$1M
Public Safety Radio Replacement	$1M	Vetoed
Septic-to-Sewer Conversion	$2M	Vetoed
Se7en Wetlands Education Center	$115K	Vetoed

The lone survivor, the San Gully Drainage Stabilization Project, is the next phase of a long-term effort to connect six west Lakeland neighborhoods from private septic tanks to city sewer service — the same broader goal the vetoed septic-to-sewer money would have advanced.

Why these cuts land close to home

The vetoed public-safety radio money would have gone toward replacing aging emergency communications equipment used by first responders. The septic-to-sewer cut slows the pace at which older west-side neighborhoods can move onto city sewer, a change tied to both convenience and water quality. And the $115,000 for a water education center at the Se7en Wetlands would have supported hands-on environmental learning at one of the area's signature natural sites.

This is not new territory for the city. Local reports note DeSantis previously cut $400,000 for the same wetlands education center, and in June 2024 vetoed the state's entire $32 million arts budget. Heading into this cycle, city leaders reportedly set modest expectations and kept their list short — an approach one official described as deliberately "not over-asking."

The bigger wins around Lakeland

While the city's own requests fared poorly, several major Lakeland-area institutions came out ahead.

The biggest headline is a permanent home for Florida's Sixth District Court of Appeal. The budget includes $13 million toward a permanent courthouse in downtown Lakeland — a long-sought goal since the court was created in 2022 and once set back by a $50 million veto that year. The nine-member appellate court currently leases office and chambers space at 811 E. Main St., and because it lacks a dedicated courthouse, hearings have been held at Florida Southern College and even the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando. The new funding may cover architecture and engineering, professional services, construction management, and site preparation.

Higher education also fared well:

• Florida Polytechnic University received $10 million toward its Student Achievement Center and $7.5 million for its "Rising to 3,000" enrollment and capacity initiative.
• Polk State College secured nearly $25.4 million to remodel Building 3 on its Lakeland campus, plus nearly $7.6 million for the final phase of its Northeast Ridge campus near Haines City–Davenport.
• Florida Southern College landed $5 million for a workforce-readiness expansion focused on agriculture, construction, architecture, and related fields.

Schools get millions — but lose a mobile STEM lab

Polk County Public Schools received more than $10.5 million for workforce education programs. But the governor vetoed $250,000 that lawmakers had approved to help the district buy and outfit a mobile lab designed to travel to schools countywide, giving students hands-on STEM and career-exploration experiences. Local reports put the lab's full cost at roughly $1 million.

Several area nonprofits also drew state support in the final budget, including funding for Lakeland-based One More Child.

What happens next

With just $1 million secured, city leaders will have to decide which of the stalled priorities to carry into the next legislative cycle — and how to fund emergency-radio replacement and further septic-to-sewer conversions in the meantime. Residents can follow future budget discussions and legislative priorities through the city at lakelandgov.net.

For more on how state decisions ripple through the city, keep up with our latest coverage on Lakeland Community Website and read more government & politics stories and education news. Have a take on which project should top the city's next list? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the updates that affect your neighborhood.