An Introduction to Budget Turkeys and the Sprinkle List

About the Budget Turkey Watch Report

The Budget Turkey Watch report is Florida TaxWatch's annual review of Florida's upcoming budget. The report was started in 1983 and promotes oversight and integrity in the state’s budgeting process based on the principle that: because money appropriated by the Legislature belongs to the taxpayers of Florida, the process must be transparent and accountable, and every appropriation should receive deliberation and public scrutiny. The budget review identifies appropriations that circumvent transparency and accountability standards in public budgeting.

Budget Turkeys are items, usually local member projects, placed in individual line-items or accompanying proviso language that are added to the final appropriations bill without being fully scrutinized and subjected to the budget process.

The Budget Turkey label does not signify judgment of a project’s worthiness. Instead, the review focuses on the Florida budget process, and the purpose of the Budget Turkey label is to ensure that all appropriations using public funds receive the deliberation, debate, and accountability they deserve. While a project may be worthwhile, Budget Turkeys tend to serve a limited (not statewide) area, are often not core functions of government, are more appropriately funded with local or private dollars, and can circumvent competitive bidding or selection as well as oversight and accountability.

Florida TaxWatch is not recommending that the Governor veto any specific project on the Budget Turkey list. We are providing this report to assist the Governor in his budget deliberations, recommending that he not only consider the value and efficacy of a project, but also if it meets turkey-criteria, if it addresses a core state government function, and if it was selected through a fair process that promotes the best interest of taxpayers statewide.

A project that circumvents established review and selection processes or has completed the established process but is funded ahead of much higher priority projects (as determined by the selection process);

Appropriations that are inserted in the budget during conference committee meetings, meaning they did not appear in either the final Senate or House budgets;

Appropriations from inappropriate trust funds; duplicative appropriations; and appropriations contingent on legislation that did not pass; and/or

Appropriations that may have been in the House or Senate budget, but were removed by agreement in conference, only to be added back at the last minute through the supplemental appropriation (“sprinkle”) lists.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps, Budget Turkeys

The What, Why, and How of the Florida TaxWatch Budget Turkey Watch Report

Legislator Resource

Florida TaxWatch’s annual Budget Turkey Watch Report for 2025 meticulously examines the state budget to identify appropriations that deviate from sound fiscal management principles. Below is an expanded overview of what Budget Turkeys are, why they are identified, and how they are determined.

Budget Turkeys—What?

Budget Turkeys are appropriations—typically local member projects—inserted as separate line-items or within proviso language in the final appropriations bill without proper vetting or adherence to established legislative budget processes. The label “Budget Turkey” does not judge a project's merit, value, or need. While some projects may be worthwhile, Budget Turkeys usually serve limited areas (not statewide), are not core state government functions, are better suited for local or private funding, and often bypass competitive bidding, oversight, and taxpayer accountability.

Budget Turkeys—Why?

Florida TaxWatch identifies Budget Turkeys under the guiding principle that taxpayer funds must be managed transparently and accountably, with every appropriation subject to deliberation and public scrutiny. The Budget Turkey Watch Report aims to:

Promote transparency and accountability in public budgeting.
Encourage thorough legislative review of all appropriations.
Uphold the constitutional checks and balances in the budget process.
Ensure the Legislature adheres to its own budget procedures.

By highlighting these appropriations, the report fosters a more responsible and equitable allocation of taxpayer funds.

Budget Turkeys—How?

The Florida TaxWatch Budget Turkey criteria identify appropriations as Budget Turkeys if they breach sound budgeting practices in one or more of the following ways:

Circumventing established review and selection processes or receiving funding ahead of higher-priority projects despite completing those processes.
Being added during conference committee meetings—thus not appearing in either the final Senate or House budgets.
Including member projects that do not comply with the joint legislative appropriation project rules.
Appropriations that may have been in the House or Senate budget, but were removed by agreement in conference, only to be added back at the last minute through supplemental appropriation (“sprinkle”) lists.
Originating from inappropriate trust funds, duplicating existing appropriations, or being contingent on legislation that ultimately did not pass.

By identifying these issues, the report encourages lawmakers to prioritize projects that deliver the most benefit to Floridians and to improve the budgeting process to prevent such appropriations in the future.