Citrus County Wins Awards for Regional Planning and Innovation in Marketing

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. (May 26, 2026) — Citrus County has received the Future of the Region Award from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and an Innovation in Marketing Award from the Florida Economic Development Council. Both awards were recognized Tuesday during the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

The Future of the Region Awards were presented at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s 2026 Resiliency Summit. Citrus County was awarded for its Interactive Growth Model, which uses advanced data to help the county anticipate where growth is likely to occur, how it may affect infrastructure, and what investments are needed to maintain service levels. The county is partnering with Metro Forecasting Models to support a proactive approach to planning and growth management.

“Insights from the Citrus County Interactive Growth Model are helping us strategically prioritize capital improvements, optimize transportation, and plan critical public facilities, including fire and emergency services,” County Administrator Steve Howard said. “I’m proud of the work Team Citrus has accomplished in partnership with Metro Forecasting to implement a data‑driven approach to planning for our community’s future.”

Citrus County Economic Development also received an Innovation in Marketing Award for Best Website. The Florida Economic Development Council presented the award earlier this month at the IGNITE Conference. The website, citrusadvantage.com, launched in February.

“When we started this process, the goal was not just to build a better website — it was to create a stronger platform to tell Citrus County’s story, support business attraction, and communicate the unique value of our community with more clarity and confidence,” Citrus County Economic Development Director Steven Baham said.