A bracing call for support of the Bed Tax

Calling All Sarasotans (includes Business Leaders & Owners, Community Activists & Park Lovers, Elected Officials & Government Employees, Parents, Retirees, Athletes & Coaches, Seniors, Visionaries, and Rowing Aficionados),

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!  Next week, (Thursday, September 16th, at 3 pm, 1660 Ringling Boulevard), the Sarasota County Tourist Development Council is discussing future uses for the Tourist Development Tax (TDT).  We are asking them to approve an additional ½-cent portion of the Bed Tax to help fund the Nathan Benderson Park.  This request is vital.  Once completed, this community park will improve the quality-of-life for both residents and visitors.  As a rowing facility, it will attract domestic and international rowers, their coaches and families, and tens of thousands of spectators year-round.  The rowing park will make dreams come true and add to the economic sustainability of our community.
PLEASE ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING.  To show our solidarity, we are asking that everyone wear lime green shirts, the universal color from this year's regatta season.  If you don't have a lime green shirt, we can provide you with one that proclaims our message,

"SARASOTA ROCKS, LET'S ROW."

 

For more information, please call me at 941-400-7333 or e-mail me atops@environeers.com .

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND CONSIDERATION.

 Sincerely,

 John Krotec

 Member, Regatta Organizing Committee

 Chairman, Fruitville 210 Community Alliance

 

Home and small business owner

 

Renew the Florida tax debate?

The Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office expects to mail out Truth In Millage (TRIM) notices to property owners by this Friday.

The TRIM notice shows what they’re to pay in property taxes depending on the appraised property value and on what tax rates cities, the county, the school board and other districts adopt before Oct. 1.

Last Friday news-press.com reported that Lee County’s population dropped by 1.38 percent, or 8,601 residents. So there are presumably fewer people to pay these taxes to cover the cost of government.

Add to that people walking away from their homes — and taxes — because of lost jobs, lost income or being underwater on their mortgage, and the drops in property values, and thus revenue, leading to budget cuts for taxing bodies.

One, thus, has to wonder whether the current property taxation system is sustainable. We believe it is not.

from:

Start Florida tax debate once again

Palm Beach County commissioners discuss raising taxes 15 percent

PALM BEACH COUNTY - Palm Beach County commissioners on Monday initially endorsed raising property tax rates as much as 15 percent next year, which would still not avoid layoffs and deep cuts to community services.

The county blames a drop in tax revenue amid a struggling economy for the need to boost tax rates to pay for county services.

If given final approval, the property tax rate would go from $3.78 per $1,000 of taxable value to $4.34. For a home worth about $230,000 and eligible for a $50,000 homestead exemption, that would equate to about $800 in county property taxes next year. That could translate to about $100 more in property taxes than this year and doesn't include taxes for schools, cities and other government agencies.

Even with an increased tax rate, the county is considering almost 200 layoffs as well as deep cuts to programs serving children, the elderly and the handicapped.

For budget planning purposes, a majority of commissioners Monday needed to agree on the maximum tax rate they would be willing to consider. A formal vote on the preliminary rate is scheduled for July 21. That proposed rate could still come down when commissioners take a final vote on the tax rate and proposed $4 million county budget in September.

For weeks, county commissioners have debated whether to cut spending deeper or boost tax rates to support county services.

"We are kind of walking around the deck of the Titanic here," Commission Chairman Jeff Koons said.

A coalition of business groups opposed boosting the property tax rate. The Business Forum of Palm Beach County in a letter to the commission called for deeper budget cuts instead of tax increases that "remove more dollars than absolutely necessary from local residents and businesses during this difficult economic time." More...

An increasingly frequent news tale

Fees hiked in state, county

Cost of foreclosure, vehicle registration, driver's license among those to increase

Costs of foreclosures, car registrations and divorce on the rise.

more...

Time Bomb with a Kicker

NPR on the county property tax "tsunami":

Morning Edition, June 11, 2009 ·After facing tight budgets in recent years, many city and county governments now see a new financial time bomb in their future.

In states like Florida, California and Nevada, the collapse of the housing market has driven down home values dramatically. That means lower property tax revenue. Counties across the country say property tax collections may decline by 10 percent or more over the next few years.

Tax Increases Ahead?

Salient quotes from the virtual town hall meeting

• "We are facing our most challenging year" - Melanie Michael, Director, Health Services in Sarasota County.
  

In reply to a question about parking fees for residents, or possibly beach parking fees:

• "This county has always prided itself on having users pay for as many services as possible." - County Administrator Jim Ley.

• "There's big opportunity when things go south," - County Administrator Jim Ley, adding that times of challenge prompt communities to "see if there's a better way to do things."
  

• "People are telling us they will not stand for petty bickering" between the county and its four unincorporated areas - Longboat Key, Venice, North Port, and Sarasota, said Thaxton.



• Asked: Have we bottomed out? -- No, said Jim Ley, adding that the tax base is a year behind.
  

Impact on County Property Taxes?

[Meeting in progress] Asked if Sarasota property taxes will go up, Sarasota Commissioner Jon Thaxton said nothing is off the table. The board of commissioners doesn't plan a tax increase, but there are instances where some residential or commercial property owners could see increased tax bills.

Your Money Matters

For a video overview of the Sarasota County Budget process, how it relates to property values, and where your taxes are spent, click here. You're invited to a virtual Town Hall meeting where your opinion matters.