DeSantis has been pouring money into rural Florida since he took office.
Now he's making the biggest investment yet.
And Ron DeSantis just dumped $311 million into Florida's forgotten communities.
DeSantis backs up his talk about rural Florida with cold hard cash
Governor Ron DeSantis announced $311 million in infrastructure grants to 37 communities across Florida, with the bulk of the money headed to rural counties and small towns.
The funding addresses everything from sewer systems to emergency shelters to airport repairs.
"We've done more for rural Florida than I'd say any governor has ever done," DeSantis said during the announcement in Sebring.¹
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2001658010037608593?s=20
Suwannee County is getting the biggest slice — over $38 million to build a regional special needs emergency shelter for North Florida.
Live Oak landed $3.9 million for a 100,000-gallon water storage tank and water line loop.
Bradford County received nearly $6 million for road reinforcement.
Columbia County is getting $2 million to build rail track infrastructure for the North Florida Mega Industrial Park.
The Keystone Heights Airport Authority secured $2.95 million for a runway extension.
Santa Fe College got $5 million to repair its campus gymnasium roof damaged by recent storms.
Union County will receive $1.4 million to build a communications tower and upgrade the emergency dispatch system.
Lake City is getting almost $1.8 million to replace a hangar at the airport destroyed by Hurricane Idalia.
Putnam County received $3 million for landfill infrastructure improvements.
The money comes from two pots — federal disaster recovery grants for communities hammered by Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, Milton and the 2024 North Florida tornadoes, plus the state's Rural Infrastructure Fund.
"These infrastructure projects will help make Florida more prosperous, more resilient, and better prepared to weather any storms that may come our way," DeSantis stated.²
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2001826358666674496?s=20
Senate President Albritton makes rural Florida his mission
Senate President Ben Albritton has been pushing his "Rural Renaissance" legislation to bolster healthcare, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously last session but stalled in the House.
Albritton represents Wauchula in rural Hardee County and grew up in a farming family.
He's brought the bill back for the 2026 legislative session.
"We've seen tremendous economic growth in urban Florida over the years, and it's rural Florida's turn now to grow the way we see fit," Albritton said.³
The legislation would provide $218 million in funding for rural roads, housing, education, healthcare and business development.
Albritton has been working with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to potentially expand the program nationwide.
"Rural America actually is under crisis, and the Trump administration has been very clear that is taking place, and they want to be part of the solution now," Albritton explained.⁴
Healthcare provisions in the Rural Renaissance package would provide $25 million for a program to recruit physicians and healthcare providers to set up practices in rural communities.
It would create an Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce to help rural governments access state and federal resources.
The bill would increase funding for "fiscally constrained counties" to at least $50 million per year.
It would also provide $1 million block grants to counties with declining populations.
DeSantis's record on rural infrastructure backs up Albritton's push.
Since 2019, the Rural Infrastructure Fund has awarded over $110 million to rural communities.
The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund has distributed more than $297 million creating nearly 41,000 jobs since 2019.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2001766164611871074?s=20
FDOT invested more than $1.2 billion to assist rural counties with critical infrastructure projects since 2019.
These are the communities that feed America and maintain the agricultural backbone of Florida's economy.
They deserve roads that don't flood every time it rains, water systems that actually work, and hospitals within driving distance.
Miami and Tampa get all the attention, but DeSantis understands that preserving rural Florida means preserving what makes Florida special.
The places where people know their neighbors, where kids can grow up without worrying about crime, where hard work still means something.
That's the Florida worth fighting for.
¹ Leslie Bolden, "Millions For Main Street: Florida Pours $311 Million Into Storm-Battered Communities," The Daily Caller, December 18, 2025.
² Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, "Governor Ron DeSantis announces $311 million in infrastructure grants," Press Release, December 18, 2025.
³ WFLA, "Gov. DeSantis announces $311M investment in rural communities," December 18, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
