Citrus County Wins State Awards for Growth Planning

Citrus County received two statewide awards for its Interactive Growth Model and economic development website, county commissioners learned Tuesday.

The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council presented the Future of the Region Award at its 2026 Resiliency Summit. The Interactive Growth Model uses data to forecast where residential and commercial development will concentrate and predicts the impact on roads, utilities, and emergency services. County staff use the tool to prioritize capital improvements and plan public facilities before growth strains existing systems.

The Florida Economic Development Council awarded Citrus County Economic Development an Innovation in Marketing Award for Best Website at the IGNITE Conference earlier this month. The website, citrusadvantage.com, launched in February and targets business attraction and site selection decisions.

"Insights from the 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.

Metro Forecasting Models partnered with the county to build the growth forecasting system. Citrus County Economic Development Director Steven Baham said the website goal was to create a stronger platform to tell the county's story and communicate its value to potential business relocations.