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Board Finalizes 2006 County Budget
Sep 22, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Pete Winton, Lee County Administration, (239) 335-2777
BOARD FINALIZES 2006 COUNTY BUDGET/$26 MILLION TAX CUT FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 22, 2005) At the last of two budget public hearings Thursday night (Sep. 22), the Board of Lee County Commissioners finalized the county's fiscal year 2005-06 budget, which starts Oct. 1 and includes a $26-million tax cut. The annual budget also includes increases for public safety, utilities, community development, solid waste and several major transportation projects, and spending of more than $813 million for operations and new capital projects and maintenance. At the first budget hearing Sep. 8, the Board approved a $20 million reduction in the general fund (countywide tax rate), which equates to a $74 property tax decrease on a $250,000 home with a homestead exemption. The Board also approved the rollback tax rate for the unincorporated property tax (a $6.2 million reduction), which equates to an additional $47 tax decrease on a $250,000 home with a homestead exemption for those who live in the unincorporated areas. This is the fifth property tax rate reduction the County Commission has approved since 2001, as follows (a mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of property value): General Fund 2006 4.2612 mills to 3.9332 mills 2005 4.3277 mills to 4.2612 mills 2001 4.4751 mills to 4.3277 mills Unincorporated 2006 1.2114 mills to 1.0028 mills (rollback rate) Library 2005 0.9630 mills to 0.6055 mills Also included in the FY 2006 budget is: $377 million for county operations, and an additional $21 million of grants. $187 million for constitutional officers (Tax Collector, Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Court and Supervisor of Elections) and court services, including $124 million for the Sheriff's Office. $228 million for new capital projects and maintenance items. $30 million has been set aside in general fund reserves for a revolving loan program to expedite road projects. Additionally, $30 million of reserves are planned for construction of the downtown Justice Center Annex (expansion), and $16 million was set aside for the potential purchase of Fisherman's Co-op (boat ramp and outer islands garbage transfer site). Included in the operational funding is $3.6 million for human services/community agencies through the Partnering for Results Program (see list below). Included in the capital funding is $3.1 million for beach and shoreline projects through the Tourist Development Council and paid for with tourist taxes (see list below). In addition to the Partnering for Results Program, the county funds the following agencies through its general fund: Ruth Cooper Center ($2.3 million), Southwest Florida Addition Services ($1.4 million), Children's Advocacy Center ($153,400), and the Public Health Unit ($1.5 million). TOP FY2006 MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT EXPENDITURES (in millions): Project Amount* Description Conservation 20/20 27.8 Ongoing purchase of env.sensitive lands Jail Expansion 25.9 Replace stockade/400-bed expansion Estero Parkway Extension 16.0 Over I-75 to Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy. Three Oaks Ext. South 12.2 S. ext. to Bonita Springs Waste-to-Energy Expansion 12.0 600 ton-per-day expansion Airport Sewer Plant 11.5 Sewer expansion in Airport area Filter Marshes 5.0 Island Park and Three Oaks Parkway
Sanibel Causeway Replcmnt Replacement of all three bridges Justice Center Expansion 10-story annex
Northwest Regional Library Regional libary at Mariner High School Wa-Ke Hatchee Community Park New park at Bass Rd./Summerlin Estero Community Park New comm. park on 65 acres in Estero Lee County Gun Range At Buckingham Mosquito Control North Lee Water Treatment Plant 5 mgd capacity expandable to 10 mgd Summerlin Road Widening From San Carlos Blvd. to Gladiolus *Amounts represent payments scheduled in FY2006, not entire project cost, which could be more because of multi-year funding. COMMUNITY AGENCIES FUNDING SUPPORTED LIVING/HOUSING ($1,040,725) Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $268,978 Island Coast AIDS Network -- $278,952 Impact -- $238,121 Senior Friendship Centers of Lee County -- $120,313 Visually Impaired Persons -- $65,018 Children's Home Society -- $42,832 Deaf Service Center -- $26,511 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ($1,074,046) Child Care of Southwest Florida -- $580,112 Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $221,485 Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. -- $151,166 Visually Impaired Persons -- $24,998 Deaf Service Center -- $18,916 Goodwill Industries -- $77,369 ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH ($911,699) Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Southwest Florida, Inc. -- $225,120 Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County -- $240,249 Lutheran Services -- $146,738 Children's Advocacy Center -- $123,835 Catholic Charities -- $150,774 Planned Parenthood -- $24,984 BASIC ASSISTANCE ($553,683)Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. -- $308,589 Children's Advocacy -- $145,079 Salvation Army -- $50,015 Catholic Charities -- $50,000 UNITED WAY OF LEE COUNTY ($42,000) BEACH AND SHORELINE PROJECTS FUNDING City of Bonita Springs Imperial River Canoe/Kayak Launch $75,000 City of Cape Coral Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve Maintenance $25,000 Yacht Club Community Park Beach Maintenance $26,000 Yacht Club Community Park Beach Maintenance $15,000 Town of Fort Myers Beach Operation Beach Maintenance $140,000 City of Sanibel Beach Erosion Monitoring $35,000 Causeway Beach Park Shoreline Improvements $90,000 Dune Walkover Replacement $60,000 Facility/Beach Maintenance $440,000 Family Restroom at Bowman's Beach Park $110,000 Turner Beach Restroom Improvements $40,000 Water Quality Monitoring $20,000 Lee County Natural Resources Bathing Beach Water Quality Monitoring $10,000 Beach Renourishment Trust Fund $1,000,000 Lee County Parks & Recreation Emergency Beach Cleanup $100,000 Operation Beach Maintenance $794,700 Lee County Public Works Boardwalk Deck Improvements $75,000 Capitalized Beach Front Park Maintenance $25,000 Total $3,080,700 |