CLEWISTON — While they don’t know what the next Florida Legislative Session will bring, Hendry County Commissioners were cautiously optimistic about state funding at their Sept. 8 meeting.

“We had some wins, which we are happy about but to say this session was difficult would be an understatement,” explained lobbyist Dean Cannon of GrayRobinson. He said a lot of bills the legislature passed were vetoed by the governor.

“We don’t know how the next session will end up,” he added.

“We were able to secure $2.5 million for the Port LaBelle utility system water treatment plant expansion.

“We got $750,000 for the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office building repairs.

“We also were able to receive $900,000 in the CBDG – the Community Development Block Grant Programs,” he said.

“All in all, I think it was a successful session,” he added.

He said it took until June 27 to get the budget done and it was not a smooth process. The Florida Constitution anticipates disputes between the Legislative and Executive branches, he continued. “In Florida, they can’t deficit spend and they have to pass the budget or the state can’t continue,” he explained.

“What kind of a session can we expect in 2026?” he said. Legislative leaders and the governor are pushing for property tax.  “We have to be careful to protect core infrastructure services and the key functions of local government,” he said.

“Politically, I am not sure how it is going to go,” said Cannon. “It could be another really tough session with a lot of back and forth between the governor and the legislative branch.”