Subject: Davis Blvd Median Improvements between Santa Barbara and County Barn Road
Many residents in Countryside may not be aware that they are being taxed for an MSTU (Municipal Service Taxing Unit) established in 1996 for median improvements on Radio Road.
Heretofore, the MSTUs were the approach needed to be taken if communities wanted median improvement on their ajoining roadways. Two years ago, the Florida legislature passed a tax reform bill and since that time no MSTUs have been established.
There is another possible way that median improvement on Davis Blvd can be accomplished and that is by County funding. According to County records, no median improvements for our stretch of Davis Blvd are on their books until possibiy after Davis Blvd widening is considered. That time frame is set for 2030!
You should know that each year the County has funds turned back at the September budget hearings that will be redistributed as the Commissioners see fit in their October meetings.
I have given this information to our Master Board. I have encouraged our Club's Master Board to convene a meeting with representatives from Falling Water, Unity Church, Seacreast School, Terricina Grand, and Glen Eagle. If we make a good showing at the County Budget Hearings (similiar to the showing we made when objecting to the EOC), it is possible that the County Commissioners will grant us funds for landscaping on Davis Blvd.
Request you contact your Countryside Master Board representative and ask them to put forth an effort to obtain landscaping on the Davis Blvd. medians.
The following is background information provided by a citizen who volunteers her services to the County's financial area:
The Florida legislature, in their tax reform act, wanted to reduce property taxes collected at the county level — generally the purview of county commissioners. As part of the property tax restrictions, the legislature wanted to limit the ability of counties to increase taxes outside of the county-wide and unincorporated general funds by creating new (or increasing old) Municipal Services Taxing Units (MSTUs). As a result, if a new MSTU is created, collecting additional taxes from a specific group, a corresponding reduction in revenue must be made to one of the general funds — so no additional taxes are generated (unless specific actions are taken by the commission to exceed tax reform funding levels). The Collier County Commission has been reluctant to establish new MSTUs because they do not want to lose the general fund revenue. Commissioners could establish the new MSTU, but with general fund revenues reduced by the actions of the legislature and the reduction in property values and new construction due to the economy, it has not happened so far. Also, commissioners could have increased taxes in FY09, under the tax reform rules, but they voted to hold the millage rate constant (no tax increase), further reducing general fund property tax revenues.
During the FY09 budget workshop in June, commissioners decided to delay making some specific funding decisions until they see how much FY08 budgeted money is turned back by the Constitutional officers (primarily the Clerk of Courts, but also the Tax Collector, Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections). Median landscaping is one of the county functions awaiting possible turnback funding. There are several other county functions that will be clamoring for this money when it is available — sometime in October.
If your organization is interested in median landscape funding, the best time to make your desires known to county commissioners would be during the FY09 budget hearings in September. I know commissioners consider the opinions of residents when they are making their final budget decisions.
