FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LOWERS TWO TAX  RATES/ADOPTS FY 04-05 BUDGET

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 22, 2004) – At the second of two public hearings tonight (Sep. 8 and 22), the Board of Lee County Commissioners lowered taxes by $42.40 for every $100,000 of taxable property value and adopted a Fiscal Year 2004-05 County Budget that includes $710 million of spending – a 2.7% decrease from the $730 million approved for 2004.

The budget includes increases for utilities, libraries, community development and several major transportation projects, but less overall spending for capital projects.  In all, $710 million is budgeted for operations and new capital projects in 2005.

Here’s the overall budget numbers at a glance ($ are in millions):

                                                            04                    05                    %Change

County General Fund                        $90.9               $93.2               2.5

County Operating Budget

(includes General Fund)        301.7               327.4               8.5

County Funding of

            Constitutionals/Courts          149.3               161.6               8.2

Total County Operating

            (includes Constitutionals

                        and Grants)                469.5               507.6               8.1

Construction Budget                          260                  202.3               (22.2) decrease*

Total Operating & Capital                 $729.5             $709.9             (2.7) decrease

*Capital budget can fluctuate widely from year to year depending on programmed projects. 

Two tax rate decreases were approved (general fund and libraries, see attached).  The general fund property tax rate was decreased from 4.3277 mills to 4.2612 mills ($6.65 per $100,000 of taxable property value).  The libraries property tax rate was decreased from 0.9630 mills to 0.6055 mills ($35.75 per $100,000 of taxable property value).  The county’s new fiscal year begins October 1.  Included in the budget is:

§         $327 million for county operations, including increases for utilities (new North Lee Water Treatment Plant and GES operations), libraries (staffing of Lakes Regional Library), and community development (staffing to maintain services levels during record permitting activity).

§         $162 million for constitutional officers (Tax Collector, Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Court and Supervisor of Elections) and court services, including $108 million for the Sheriff’s Office.

§         $202 million for new capital projects, including $20 million for Conservation 20/20 purchases, $16.5 million for Northwest Regional Library, an additional $14.5 million for the 600 ton-per-day expansion of the Waste-to-Energy Facility ($83 million total cost over several years), and $13.7 million for Three Oaks Parkway Extension to the south.

§         Assistance to Charlotte County for litigation against phosphate mining ($1 million).

§         Included in the operational funding is $3.2 million for human services/community agencies (see list below).

§         Included in the capital funding is $3.3 million for beach and shoreline projects through the Tourist Development Council and paid for with tourist taxes (see list below).

§         Other items included during the two budget hearings: $1.2 million in FY 07 capital budget for Fort Myers Library expansion; $1 million loan from general reserves for design of Estero Boulevard improvements (if needed after feasibility study, would be repaid with FMB allocation of gas tax); $750,000 for new Civic Center roof; $700,000 steel price increase for Lee County Gun Range; $500,000 for Edison Home restoration; $289,012 for Clerk of Court budget for Article V funding revision issues; $147,960 for one-year trial of trolley service to Fort Myers Beach (out of FMB allocation of gas tax); Burnt Store Rd. 4-laning and Colonial/Veterans improvements (between SR 78 and I-75) partial funding placed in five-year Capital Budget; $105,667 for hurricane shelter retrofits at schools;  $75,000 for Old Schoolhouse renovation on Sanibel; $70,000 reallocation in Medical Examiner’s budget for Associate ME salaries; $50,000 for WGCU Lee County history series; $25,000 for Home Ownership Resource Council; $20,000 for Nations Association; $8,000 (with $8,000 match from City of Fort Myers) for Black History Society/Museum.

TOP FY2005 NEW CAPITAL PROJECT EXPENDITURES (in millions):

Project                                                Amount*                     Description

Conservation 20/20                                          19.7                 Ongoing purchase of env.-sensitive lands

Northwest Regional Library                              16.5                 40,000 s.f. co-located at Mariner High

Waste-to-Energy Expansion                             14.5                 600 ton-per-day expansion

Three Oaks Ext.                                               13.7                 S. ext. to Bonita Springs, including sewer

LeeTran Ops&Maint. Facility                            8.7                  Proposed new ops&maint. facility

Summerlin Rd Widening                                    8.2                  From San Carlos Blvd to Gladiolus

Imperial Street Widening                                   5.3                  4-ln from Bonita Beach Rd. to E. Terry

Lee-Hendry Landfill                                                              4..9                         Phase II of expansion

Cape Coral Toll Plaza                                       4.6                  Rehab

Sanibel Toll Plaza                                              4.3                  Rehab

Other significant projects under construction (primary funding in prior years):

Sanibel Causeway Replcmnt                                                       Replacement of all three bridges

Justice Center Expansion                                                            Expand gov’t campus; includes SunTrust buy

Lakes Regional Library                                                               New 40,000 s.f. regional facility; Bass Rd.

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

*Amounts represent payments scheduled in FY2005, not entire project cost, which could be more because of multi-year funding.

 COMMUNITY AGENCIES FUNDING

            SUPPORTED LIVING/HOUSING  ($940,325)

§         Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $261,298

§         Island Coast AIDS Network -- $234,878

§         Impact -- $216,450

§         Senior Friendship Centers of Lee County -- $103,536

§         Visually Impaired Persons -- $65,010

§         Children’s Home Society -- $41,226

§         Deaf Service Center -- $17,927

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY  ($940,347)

§         Child Care of Southwest Florida -- $500,011

§         Lee Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. -- $171,943

§         Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. -- $140,565

§         Catholic Charities -- $82,371

§         Visually Impaired Persons -- $24,986

§         Deaf Service Center -- $20,471 

ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH  ($783,589)

§         Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Southwest Florida, Inc. -- $190,320

§         Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County -- $149,092

§         Lutheran Services -- $98,846

§         Children’s Advocacy Center -- $96,928

§         Catholic Charities -- $90,434

§         SWFL Addiction Services -- $85,388

§         African Caribbean American Catholic Community -- $52,421

§         Planned Parenthood -- $20,160

BASIC ASSISTANCE  ($470,129)

§         Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. -- $295,394

§         Children’s Advocacy -- $124,732

§         Salvation Army -- $50,003

BEACH AND SHORELINE PROJECTS FUNDING