Dialogue over the way to “cut up the invoice” for looming street diversifications within the Keys earned middle stage on the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners’ assembly on April 16.
From 2021 to 2023, a Roads Vulnerability Sea Stage Rise Adaptation Research accomplished by the county recognized and ranked 97 street areas for enchancment by the yr 2045, at a projected price of $1.6 billion, to mitigate flooding as a result of rising sea ranges. Of these 97 areas, 49 had been advisable for completion by 2025 at a projected price of $888 million – earlier than accounting for rising prices because the authentic 2020 estimate.
Prior dialogue of the way to increase the monumental sum – together with a public bond, gross sales tax will increase, grants and loans – continued in final Wednesday’s preliminary proposal for dialogue: a uniform $25,000 evaluation per “billing unit” in areas recognized for enchancment to defray a portion of capital prices, plus established localized taxing districts to fund 100% of the operations and upkeep of every space’s street venture.
The assessments drew heavy criticism from public commenters, most of whom had been residents in areas with enchancment initiatives already underway. A number of took subject with what they felt was a scarcity of communication from county officers as rising prices, layers of environmental laws and shifting funding sources modified the monetary panorama of every venture. Others mentioned potential assessments would damage property values and lift rents, probably driving extra of the Keys’ workforce out of the island chain with the numerous tax will increase.
Steve Miller, govt director of the Decrease Keys Chamber of Commerce, informed the fee that such an evaluation within the Sands subdivision on Massive Pine Key might be a tipping level for the Keys’ workforce.
“They’re those which can be simply getting by, a whole lot of them,” he mentioned. “That is simply going to be yet another factor that’s going to be touchdown on high of them (and) pushing them away. And we’re dropping extra of this workforce on a regular basis.”
County Administrator Christine Hurley informed the fee that current initiatives in Conch Key and the Sands and Twin Lakes subdivisions have “just about tapped out” the county’s capability for funding out there by its one cent infrastructure surtax. Hurley and a number of county commissioners reminded the viewers that grant funding for initiatives requires an identical portion, and that current deep cuts to state and federal grant funding might place future initiatives in even better jeopardy with out native monetary backing. Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag mentioned that whereas grant funding is partially secured for a complete of seven initiatives, there’ll nonetheless be a possible shortfall that Monroe County taxpayers might want to cowl.
“What meaning, and I wish to be very clear about this … is until we increase advert valorem taxes to pay for parts of those different initiatives, we can not do the initiatives,” Hurley mentioned. “None of us are blissful in regards to the discussions we’re having.”
“I’m afraid that we’re taking a look at altering points in our nation, with much less willingness to supply cash than there’s willingness to take and minimize funding,” mentioned commissioner David Rice. “It’s okay to say we don’t wish to have this $25,000 per constructing unit collected, however that cash nonetheless needs to be paid. We don’t have the cash, and possibly you (taxpayers) don’t have the cash both. That leaves us one possibility (to desert roads), and I feel we’re going to be going through that subject.”
“We’re now at that philosophical query: Who’s going to pay for this?” mentioned Mayor Professional Tem Michelle Lincoln, who pledged to host a city corridor assembly for Sands subdivision residents to debate the impacts of the development initiatives. “It’s popping out of advert valorem taxes; is it going to return from one particular neighborhood that’s receiving a profit, or is the whole county going to pay for these initiatives that will solely profit just a few?”
“I don’t know if we’re fairly there on making a call on how we transfer ahead,” mentioned commissioner Holly Raschein. “I do respect that we do have to have a group course of and a constant course of.”
“Sea stage rise is constant,” mentioned Mayor Jim Scholl. “We don’t wish to be simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Someplace there’s acquired to be a steadiness of what the funding goes to be, what the return on the funding goes to be, and whether or not there are alternate options after we’re performed with pilot initiatives.”
No formal motion was taken on the proposal, with discussions set to proceed at future fee conferences.