Jenifer Green, President of Liberty Partners, recently joined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to promote economic development programs in the state that seek to assist rural areas, such as the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (FJGGF) and the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF).
DeSantis and Green highlighted how the programs have revived rural areas across the Sunshine State.
“It’s helping to bring in economic development into Florida’s rural communities,” Green said
Now the focus is getting much-needed attention from state lawmakers.
It’s called “The Florida Rural Renaissance.” Most of the proposed dollars will be targeted at Northwest Florida communities.
Elected officials intend to stimulate rural economic development with different initiatives focused on public infrastructure, small business growth, expanded transportation services, and healthcare access.
Some of these include:
Historic investment in rural transportation infrastructure, dedicating $50 million annually to modernize farm-to-market roads that connect agricultural areas to distribution centers. Funding for small county road improvements is expanded by doubling the state’s investment in the Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP) through redirected vehicle title fees.
The Rural Infrastructure Fund is also strengthened, with recurring funding increased to $10 million and an additional $40 million provided this year for critical infrastructure projects. And Florida deploys nearly $2 billion in federal broadband funds.
Addressing a teacher shortage with $15,000 in student loan repayment assistance over five years to teachers and administrators working in fiscally constrained counties.
Local health care with programs to help physicians, physician assistants, and autonomous nurse practitioners establish primary care practices in rural communities, covering start-up expenses not addressed by existing programs. The FRAME loan repayment program is expanded to include emergency medicine physicians working in rural hospitals, helping alleviate staffing shortages in essential care areas.
Green says that in several of these smaller communities, the manufacturing base is succeeding.
Green says she’s optimistic that many of these programs will be supported in the upcoming 2026 legislative session, starting in January.
