City of Ocala delivers legislative priorities to state representatives


Legislators, from left, Rep. Yvonne Hinson, Rep. J..J. Grow, Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, Sen. Stan McClain, Rep. Judson Sapp and Rep. Richard Gentry, sit together during the Marion County Legislative Delegation at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Cenral Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

Home » Government
Posted January 15, 2025 | By Jennifer Hunt Murty
[email protected]

Hundreds of local elected officials, nonprofit leaders, members of the public, and legislative support staff gathered at the College of Central Florida on Jan. 8 to remind locally elected state representatives of the needs of Marion County before they head to the 2025 state legislative session in Tallahassee.

The state delegation had three familiar faces: Yvonne Hinson, who is now serving her third term as a State House representative for District 21, which encompasses parts of Marion and Alachua counties; Ryan Chamberlin, who is serving his second House term for District 24, encompassing a swatch of central Marion County and much of the City of Ocala; and Marion County’s only state senator, Stan McClain.

McClain has a long history in Marion County. He sat on the Marion County Board of County Commissioners for 12 years and then termed out as a State House Representative for District 27 before being elected to the District 9 seat. McClain’s son Matthew McClain is a member of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners.

Newcomers were House representatives Judson Sapp for District 20, which encompasses Putnam County and parts of Clay, Marion and St. Johns counties; J. J. Grow for District 23, which includes Citrus County and part of Marion County; and Richard Gentry for House District 27, which encompasses parts of Lake, Marion, and Volusia counties.

This year, the Florida State Legislature is scheduled to convene on March 4 and adjourn on May 2, but the deadline for the legislature to submit all requests for drafts of general bills, joint resolutions, and memorials is the close of business on Jan. 24.

City’s legislative priorities re: Housing

Ocala City Manager Pete Lee addressed the delegation during the public meeting on behalf of the Ocala City Council regarding the city’s legislative priorities and appropriation requests.

Lee encouraged legislators to continue funding affordable housing initiatives including the Sadowski Trust Fund and the SHIP Program and to support programs for “affordable, entry-level, workforce and veterans’ housing, including down payment and tenant-based assistance.”

One program Lee pointed to was the state’s Hometown Heroes Program, which ran out of money quickly due to high demand. The initiative provided down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time, income-qualified homebuyers to purchase a primary residence in the community where they work and serve as first responders.
Additionally, the city asked legislators to support housing for the unhoused.

Protect municipalities’ power

Lee echoed Marion County leaders’ opposition to “legislative measures limiting home rule, including those that result in unfunded mandates.”

Contrary to the county’s request for municipalities to seek the county’s approval before offering utility services in unincorporated Marion, the city asked legislators to “protect municipalities’ authority, per Florida Statute 180.02, to extend services upon request, up to five miles from the municipal limits.”

Ocala leaders oppose “legislation that would prohibit municipal electric utilities from using specified revenues to finance general government functions.”

Property insurance

The city wants legislators to “continue supporting comprehensive reform to include: Promote and incentivize natural disaster mitigation strategies and community resilience projects” while requiring insurers to “clearly outline premium calculations and justify rate increases, allowing for greater oversight and accountability.”

Also, the city is asking them to consider expanding the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) “by increasing its capacity to provide reinsurance to insurance companies at a lower cost, which can reduce premiums for homeowners; offer incentives or subsidies to encourage private reinsurers to operate in Florida, increasing competition and lowering costs.”

Health and safety

In addition to asking legislators to continue supporting transportation and projects that improve water quality, the city’s written request to delegates asked for increased funding for “mental health services, dementia-related care, opioid-addiction treatment, and wrap-around services,” as well as to establish Florida as a “hands-free” state to improve public safety.

City Appropriation requests

City of Ocala Sewer Ex-filtration Project – $1 million (with an equal match from the City)

The city’s report to the delegation indicates funding would be used to “perform injection grouting and lining of the City of Ocala’s sewer pipes and maintenance holes that have degraded over time. During normal operations, the degraded sewer infrastructure allows sewage flows to leak into surrounding soils and flow to the water reclamation facility. This will not only reduce nutrient loading in the Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs Basins, but it will also lower the treatment of effluent at the water reclamation facilities and prevent sanitary sewer overflows during storm events.”

City of Ocala Force Main Construction – $1 million (with an equal match from the City)

The city’s report to the delegation indicates the funding for this project “aims to install 1,150 linear feet of eight-inch force main that will connect to Lift Station 146 and install 3,000 linear feet of 12-inch (pipe) on SE 21st Avenue.”
These improvements will increase capacity “necessary for current and future development of West Oak and prevent downstream pressure issues at Lift Station 85.”

The city noted in it’s appropriation request that it’s currently using an alternative route due to an out-of-service main at SE 21st Avenue that is “causing pressure and odor issues.”

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To read county legislative priorities and appropriation requests, use this link.

 

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