Monroe County Mayor Neugent Advocates for Florida Keys in Trip to Tallahasseee

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Monroe County Mayor George Neugent’s busy Wednesday in the state capital included meeting with lawmakers and testifying before subcommittees about issues of importance to the Florida Keys.

Neugent met with Senate President Joe Negron, Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores and Rep. Holly Raschein to discuss funding for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act. Neugent expressed the importance of the County receiving the full appropriation this year of $25 million — $20 million for water quality improvement projects and $5 million for land acquisition.

Neugent also testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the need for full funding of the Stewardship Act.

And, speaking before the House Natural Resources and Public Lands subcommittee, chaired by Raschein, Neugent expressed strong support for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Anchor and Mooring Pilot Program recommendations. Neugent advocated that those recommendations be included in the new legislation.

Of particularly importance among the recommendations is maintaining the ability to require vessels to provide a “proof of pump out.” Monroe County’s mobile pump out program has removed and properly disposed of 1 million gallons of sewage from vessels.

Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi and Legislative Affairs Director Lisa Tennyson accompanied Neugent on the trip. They also met with lawmakers to discuss other issues that are important to the Keys, including the high cost of wind insurance and the proposed judgeship reductions in Monroe County.

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