J.J. Grow
At Friday’s annual state delegation meeting, Rep. JJ Grow listened as local leaders outlined projects they say are vital to the county’s future.
Grow called it “an honor to represent Citrus County” and said that he will fight for its citizens.
”There’s a lot of work to be done this session in Tallahassee,” he said.
Once a year, Citrus County residents and local officials head to Inverness armed with a list of funding requests, hopes and priorities, and for a couple hours, the legislative delegation listens.
In many ways, it’s a bit like Christmas: everyone has their wish list and hopes the state lawmakers play Santa.
That’s what happened Friday when speakers talked about everything from road repairs and school funding to springs restoration funding and public safety projects. The hope is that legislators will push their requests forward when the 2026 legislative session begins.
This year, the delegation consisted of just Grow. The Senate District 11 seat has been vacant since July, when former Sen. Blaise Ingoglia was appointed Florida’s Chief Financial Officer by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Republican and local dermatologist Ralph Massullo, who won the GOP special primary last month, will face Democrat Ash Marwah of The Villages in the Dec. 9 special general election to fill Ingoglia’s term through November 2026.
At Friday’s meeting, Grow advanced local legislation concerning the dissolution of the Citrus County Hospital Board.
Earlier this month, the board announced to county commissioners its intention to dissolve the 82-year-old taxing district by the end of 2026 and authorized legal counsel to renegotiate its lease and agreements with HCA Florida Citrus Hospital.
Hospital board members will now work with city and county officials on asset distribution and potential land conveyances to support hospital renovations.
The full resolution will be revisited at the hospital board’s next meeting.
“There’s a lot of work that (still) needs to get done,” Grow said.
Bays
County Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Bays laid out the county’s list of legislative requests: Floral City septic-to-sewer expansion – $6.2 million; Halls River Road multi-use path – $2.5 million; Judicial and government space expansion – $5 million; Regional public safety training center – $1.5 million; Septic-to-sewer incentive program – $925,000
Bays said Citrus County is growing and the challenge will be to keep up with infrastructure and still protect the environment.
”We can’t do that alone,” said Bays, appealing to Grow for state funding help.
To that end, Grow said he will push for a transportation concurrency bill in the House. Transportation concurrency is a planning policy that ensures roads have enough capacity to handle traffic generated by new development at the time the development is approved or completed.
Williams
file photo
Inverness City Manager Eric Williams presented the city’s top funding requests: a new RV campground at Whispering Pines Park and the West Inverness Trail Connector. The campground, a $2 million state request with $1 million in local funds, aims to draw visitors while boosting downtown businesses, park leagues and trail users.
The $2 million-$3 million trail would link the Withlacoochee State Trail to downtown via Independence Avenue, with the city contributing about $500,000 for design.
Also on the city’s wish list: replacing the park’s boundary fence, installed in the 1970s, with costs estimated under $500,000.
Williams told Grow the city has formed a welcome partnership with the county and hopes to continue that relationship with the state.
Grow said he’s not sure he can fulfill all the city’s requests in Tallahassee but would work hard to do so.
Hebert
Schools Superintendent Scott Hebert presented his district’s three requests: Public Safety Training Annex (including an indoor range): $250,000; Hurricane and Coastal Mitigation: $641,841; and Academy of Environmental Science (Building safety enhancements and stabilization ): $120,000.
Audra Curts
Crystal River City Manager Audra Curts presented her city’s three appropriations requests: City Hall reconstruction: $5 million; septic-to-sewer conversion and water projects: $6 million; and golf cart crossings for U.S. 19: $200,000.
John Murphy, governmental affairs committee chairman for the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce and digital manager for the Citrus County Chronicle, presented the chamber’s list of 2026 legislative priorities.
Top requests include $6.5 million for a new regional first-responder training hub and expanded judicial space and more than $17 million in water restoration projects such as the Floral City Septic-to-Sewer expansion, Crystal River stormwater improvements and continued seagrass restoration through the Save Crystal River initiative.
Infrastructure priorities feature multi-use trails, road improvements, and recognition of County Road 491 as a vital evacuation and economic corridor. The Chamber also backs $2 million for Inverness’s Whispering Pines RV Campground to boost recreation and tourism.
On housing and workforce issues, the Chamber supports affordable housing, property insurance reform and expanded childcare access.