MARIANNA, Fla. (WMBB) — U.S. Senator Rick Scott spent the better part of Monday afternoon and evening in Jackson County. And he was honored for some of the work he did while he was Florida’s governor.
When Rick Scott was governor, he made it possible for Jackson County to take over the old dozier school for boys from the state. It’s now called the endeavor property.
And for his help, Jackson County officials have tied Rick Scott’s name to that project for years to come.
Jackson County officials finally got their chance to thank Rick Scott for something he did years ago when he was governor.
They took Senator Scott on a tour of one of the showcase projects located at the endeavor property. The Next Step Academy opened to students last month.
“The next step would not be here without this property being donated. So, we’re really excited and we’re really excited to show him the next step because we have just moved into this building about a month ago and we are trying to reclaim this property for something really wonderful,” said NextStep at Endeavor Academy Program Director Tammy Dasher.
“This was a piece of property that when I was governor, we gave back to the county to redevelop and build jobs. And they just wanted to thank me for what I did in my time as governor,” said (R) Florida Senator Rick Scott.
After the tour, Senator Scott received a plaque honoring him for his hard work in Jackson County immediately following Hurricane Michael.
The road that is the main entrance into the endeavor property is now known as Governor Rick Scott Drive.
“It was really an honor that they named a street after me,” Scott said.
The road signs actually went up about six months ago.
“I feel good about it because he deserves it. He did a lot for this country. And as a token of our appreciation, you know, this is a small thing that we can do for him, memorialize his name and attach it to this property forever,” said District Five Jackson County Commissioner Jim Peacock.
The senator’s next stop was at the county agriculture center, for this year’s Reagan day dinner.
The county’s republican party invited Scott as Scott says he looking forward to making some changes.
“First off, we ought to pass a budget. Uh, you know, the fiscal year ends this week, September 30. We have not passed a budget yet. So, I’ll be going back up there first thing in the morning, work hard to finally get a budget passed,” Scott said.
The Reagan Day dinner is a fundraiser for the republican party of Jackson County.
Senator Scott’s first term ends next year, but he is running for reelection. He said one of his primary goals is to expand the broadband network connectivity in the rural areas.
