Florida TaxWatch is urging Florida lawmakers to impose a cap on highway landscaping spending, citing concerns over rising costs and a lack of fiscal oversight.

Florida TaxWatch is urging state lawmakers to impose a cap on highway landscaping spending, warning that current requirements may lead to excessive expenditures amid rising costs for infrastructure projects.

In a new report, “From Roads to Roots: A Review of Florida’s Highway Landscape Spending,” the nonpartisan watchdog group recommends establishing an upper limit on landscaping outlays to ensure fiscal responsibility as Florida’s transportation demands continue to grow.

Under current law, Florida mandates that 1.5 percent of transportation construction spending must be allocated to landscaping. According to Florida TaxWatch, this results in more than $200 million being directed toward beautification projects in fiscal year 2023-24. While acknowledging the value of highway landscaping—including its role in stabilizing embankments, supporting ecosystems, and enhancing the state’s visual appeal—the group argues that the absence of an upper spending limit could lead to potentially unchecked or unnecessary expenditures.

“Although highway landscaping is undoubtedly valuable, Florida TaxWatch finds it odd that the legislature established a minimum spending threshold but no upper limit on landscape spending. This statute should be reviewed,” the report states.

The analysis notes that highway landscaping has provided an economic boost, adding $58 million in value from 2008 to 2013 and outlines that aesthetically pleasing highways can improve the state’s image for visitors and prospective businesses, boosting tourism and economic activity. However, the organization questions whether the current level of investment in landscaping is appropriate, particularly given the state’s other infrastructure needs, a position the group states is especially true in light of rising costs.

“Highway landscaping is an economic driver, with an identified $58 million in value-added impacts from 2008-2013,” said Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro. “As visitors enter the state, their first impression comes from the window of a car. Building a sense of culture and beauty along state highways can encourage prospective businesses and tourists to spend more time in the state of Florida.”

According to the report’s findings, spending on highway landscaping projects has increased by 60 percent since 2014, driven in part by major undertakings like the construction of the Howard Frankland Bridge and various expressway expansions. In the report, Florida TaxWatch calls for greater oversight and transparency in how the Florida Department of Transportation manages these costs, particularly regarding long-term maintenance. Without proper accountability, the review warns, landscaping could become a recurring financial burden as the state expands its road network to accommodate a rapidly growing population.

“The state should fund a comprehensive review of the Florida Department of Transportation’s Maintenance Rating Program system, ensuring the state’s investment on plant materials is properly protected, and establish a funding mechanism based on an updated MRP system to create a transparent and accountable way to track FDOT funds allocated to highway landscape maintenance,” states the report.

In comparing Florida’s approach to other states, the report notes that Texas imposes both a minimum and a maximum spending requirement for highway landscaping, capping the portion of transportation funds used for such projects at 1 percent. Florida currently has no such limit. Florida TaxWatch recommends that the state legislature consider adopting a similar cap or introducing a tiered pricing system, like the one proposed in Senate Bill 1226 during the 2024 legislative session. The proposed system would require a smaller percentage of landscaping spending for larger infrastructure projects, helping to balance aesthetic needs with fiscal prudence.

Florida TaxWatch also suggests that the state fund a comprehensive review of FDOT’s landscaping maintenance program to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards. Such a review, the group argues, would help safeguard the state’s investment in highway beautification while establishing a more transparent and accountable way to track landscaping maintenance expenditures.