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DeSantis cuts millions from Brevard County budget

By Jim Waymer, Florida Today USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced over 60% of students tested at or above grade-level benchmarks on English Language Arts and mathematics on the state progress exams for the 2025-26 school year on June 26 at Lakeland High School.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced over 60% of students tested at or above grade-level benchmarks on English Language Arts and mathematics on the state progress exams for the 2025-26 school year on June 26 at Lakeland High School. Sara-Megan Walsh/The Ledger USA TODAY Network, Reuters

Brevard County will get $5 million from the state for a new a new animal shelter but won't receive $2.5 million towards the aquarium planned for Port Canaveral.

On Monday, June 29, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a $117.6 billion state budget, but also used his line-item veto power cut $810 million, making this the fourth year in a row of less state spending, "while continuing record investments in education, infrastructure, public safety, environmental conservation, and economic opportunity," DeSantis' office said.

A dozen Brevard projects, $9.8 million, vetoed

Among those vetoes were a dozen projects in Brevard totaling $9.8 million.

The largest was $2.5 million tied to the Brevard Zoo's planned Bowen Aquarium and Conservation Center at Port Canaveral. The project description filed with the Florida Senate says that money was for an "Indian River Lagoon Innovative Wastewater System and Education Hub" that would be built as part of the aquarium project.

The system was intended both to treat wastewater at the aquarium and to serve as a public demonstration and education center showcasing "advanced wastewater technologies" that could be replicated around the lagoon.

Also among the vetoes was $1.35 million for Florida Tech to buy advanced materials equipment to support applied research and training for the aerospace and marine industries.

Other Brevard vetoes were:

  • Palm Bay – Protecting Utilities SCADA Network - $1.7 million
  • Satellite Beach – Law Enforcement In-Car Cameras, Body Worn Cameras, and Electronic Control Devices - $750,000
  • Palm Bay – Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Traffic Enhancement Project - $750,000
  • Palm Bay Fire Station 8 (St. John's Preserve) - $500,000
  • Palm Bay – Babcock Street Phase One Widening Improvement Project - $500,000
  • Palm Bay – Police Department Sgt. Frank Tobar Regional Tactical Training Building - $450,000
  • Indialantic Riverside Park Fishing Pier - $450,000
  • Melbourne Fire Department Training Center Replacement -$400,000
  • Brevard County – Maemir/Martin/Fiske Area Drainage Improvements - $250,000
  • Brevard County – Stadium and Cuddington Signal and Intersection Safety Improvements - $250,000

New animal shelter is biggest-ticket Brevard item

The new animal shelter is the largest line-item amount for Brevard County, signaling a major official milestone for calls to replace the current public shelter.

But DeSantis vetoed $9.8 million (almost a quarter) of the $42 million in legislative appropriations to Brevard that Sen. Debbie Mayfield had pointed to as budget successes a month ago.

"Brevard County was fortunate to receive funding for over 75% of its member projects, with more than $32 million appropriated," Mayfield said Monday in a prepared statement.

"Governor DeSantis exercised his line-item veto authority on a few of Brevard County's projects, including the Brevard Zoo Wastewater System and Education Hub," Mayfield added.

"The Brevard Zoo aquarium project has not broken ground and it is possible the Governor determined it was not ready for state funding at this time. As the project progresses, we can pursue funding again during a future appropriations cycle," she said.

"I think we did well," said Tyler Sirois, a Merritt Island Republican and former Florida House Majority Leader who represented Brevard from 2018 to 2026 and is set to join the Brevard County Commission after winning election to that body. He was unopposed.

Sheriff's animal shelter to be demolished for 'state-of-the-art' facility

The proposed $9 million new public pet shelter includes demolishing the 33-year-old Brevard County Sheriff's Office animal shelter and constructing "a new, state-of-the-art facility to address current and future animal care and welfare needs."

Ivey has been working with county leadership to replace the existing shelter, and the current plan is to build a temporary housing structure for animals, while the existing structure is razed. The new 30,000 square-foot animal care center will be built on the current location on Eau Gallie Boulevard west of I-95, Ivey said last year.

The state funds will be used for the design, engineering and construction of the new facility, which will deliver "a modern infrastructure (zoned HVAC and LED lighting), improved safety, better housing of animals, reduced animal stress, expanded programs, and a welcoming environment to the public," the sheriff's budget request says.

"The existing shelter is outdated, lacks sufficient space, is an open air design and does not meet modern animal care capabilities," the sheriff's budget request says. "The new facility will be a climate controlled, sound-dampening environment built for current and future needs, immediately adjacent to the recently constructed and opened Animal Surgery Center."

Waymer covers environment. Contact him at (321) 261-5903 or at jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: DeSantis cuts millions from Brevard County budget

Reporting by Jim Waymer, Florida Today / Florida Today

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 12:42 PM.