Citrus County Awarded $16.4 Million for Critical Infrastructure

November 21, 2025

Governor DeSantis held a press conference in Crystal River, Florida at the Bayside Kraft Kitchen where he announced investments in critical infrastructure and awarded money to Citrus County, Levy County, and the City of Newberry from the Job Growth Grant Fund. Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly gave a few comments also. Representative Grow, Citrus County Commissioners, Levy County Commissioners, Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent, Newberry Mayor Tim Martin, Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek, Bayside Kraft 
Kitchen co-owner Richard Wiggins, and Charles Garza President CEO of Harvest Singularity in Newberry were all present.
 
Governor DeSantis' Remarks: 

  • What we can do is just be helpful by supporting infrastructure, making sure communities are able to bounce back if we do end up having storms, and making sure we are paving the way to have more economic opportunity.
  • Lane expansion off I-75 in Ocala, they accelerated that by a decade, creating an exit there with a Buckee’s that will be done in 2026
  • Job Growth Grant Fund and the CBDG Disaster Recovery Program to make an impact in local communities
  • Giving $23.5 million to three of our communities: Citrus County, Levy County, and the City of Newberry to strengthen their critical infrastructure
    • Citrus County: awarded $16.4 million to replace a sanitary sewer system following the intrusions we saw in the 2023 and 2024 storms
    • City of Newberry: awarded $5.6 million to support roadway and water infrastructure improvements at the Newberry F 300 AG Food Tech Innovation Park
    • Levy County: awarded $1.5 million for critical water infrastructure in Chiefland, FL
  • Spoke about Hamilton School in Gainesville, a school for classical and civil education

 

Secretary of Commerce, Alex Kelly 

  • The projects the Governor announced today are creating that resilient, permanent infrastructure of communities, all 3 of these projects are going to help make job creation sustainable and supportable
  • Thanked Representative Grow, Citrus County Commissioners, Levy County Commissioners, Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent, Newberry Mayor Tim Martin, Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek, Bayside 
  • Craft Kitchen co-owner Richard Wiggins, and Charles Garza, President and CEO of Harvest Singularity in Newberry.
  • All 3 of these projects are about infrastructure with intentionality and about continuing conversation  which is to continue to make all 3 places a great place to live and grow.