FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Tony Majul, Lee County Budget Services
                (941) 335-2221

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 5, 2001) – Lee County Government has issued its Fiscal Year 2000-01 Budget Book – a 320-page publication of how the county spends taxpayer dollars.

The document takes three months to compile and is the culmination of an annual budget process that begins in March, with public workshops held during the summer and two final budget hearings in September. The county’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The full Budget Book can be purchased for $23 ($26.20 to mail) from Lee County Public Resources, first floor of the County Administration Building, 2115 Second St., in Fort Myers. The entire book also will be available in two weeks on the county’s web page at www.lee-county.com.

The county’s Budget Book has received the "Distinguished Budget Presentation Award" from the Government Finance Officers Association for the last 15 years.

For Fiscal Year 2001, the county’s operating budget is $238 million and capital budget is $298 million, of which $121 million are new projects and $177 million are carryover projects, with funding from prior years, that have yet to be completed. The operating budget pays for the day-to-day operations of the county’s 25 departments and divisions and the capital budget pays for building and public works projects such as roads, libraries, parks and utilities systems.

In addition, the county will spend $88 million on debt service in 2001, to repay and retire bonds issued to finance construction projects. Of the $571 million of property taxes collected by all local taxing authorities in 2001, the county government will receive 18.1 percent. Breakdowns for other entities are as follows: School District (43.1%), Independent Special Districts (13.2%), Sheriff’s Office (11.1%), Cities (9.1%), Constitutional Officers other than Sheriff (4.6%), and Municipal Service Taxing Units (0.8%).

The county government combines its portion of property taxes with other revenues (including user fees, bond issuances and revenue sharing from the state) to fund its entire budget.