FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wed., April 9, 2025
CONTACT: Christina Johnson, christina@on3pr.com, 850.391.5040
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released The Voter Guide for the City of North Port’s May 13, 2025 Referendum. Florida TaxWatch undertakes this independent research project to help the North Port voters better understand the issues on the special election ballot, and how their approval or rejection affects their tax dollars. FTW undertakes this independent research not to draw conclusions on whether the questions posed in the referendum should be approved or rejected, but to identify those questions that must be answered, and the issues that must be considered, to permit City of North Port voters to make an informed decision regarding the proposed capital facilities.
As the largest municipality in Sarasota County, the second fastest growing city in the United States, and a ranking within the top ten cities for population growth and job growth, the City of North Port is responsible for providing police, fire rescue, solid waste & recycling, water & wastewater and parks and recreation services to its 94,700 residents. The City’s operating millage rate of 3.7667 per $1,000 assessed taxable valuation has remained the same for the past three years and is one of the lowest in Florida.
Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “State and local governments have a constitutional obligation to ensure public safety and protect the health and well-being of their residents. Police departments are a key component of a local government’s obligation. Of the three infrastructure projects on the May 13 referendum, the new Police Department Headquarters is the most well-planned and thought out. Florida TaxWatch is encouraged by these community efforts to substantially control these millions of dollars in a responsible way, and in the thoughtful allocation of North Port taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars.”
Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Kottkamp said, “Florida TaxWatch considers the current requirement that the City must first secure voter approval before issuing debt payable from funds other than property taxes in the limited circumstances of responding to a declared emergency or disaster as unnecessary and burdensome, and hamstrings the City’s ability to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. When considering the proposals on the Special Election ballot in total, city officials must always be mindful they are not spending their money – they are spending the hard-earned money of taxpayers.”
The apparent delay in preparing the new comprehensive long-term capital improvement plan raises the question “are there any other capital facility needs that are more pressing than the new Police Department Headquarters?” At present, the voters do not have the answer to that question. With a price tag of more than $115 million, having to address another critical high-cost capital facility will tax (no pun intended) the ability of the City’s property owners to finance such a project.
The other two infrastructure projects on the referendum (the solid waste transfer station and wastewater treatment capital improvements) are less well-planned and thought out. They are also less expensive. If approved, these projects would be financed through the issuance of revenue bonds, which are somewhat riskier than the general obligation bonds because they are repayable from revenues generated by users of the facilities.
The involvement of Florida TaxWatch is at the request of the Argus Foundation, a local nonprofit, nonpartisan, business membership-based think tank and government watchdog in Sarasota County, to review questions 1, 3, 4 and 5 on the ballot, within the context of the City’s perceived ‘broken’ capital facilities planning process. The questions, and the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ meaning are listed below, with analysis of each question outlined within the report here.
Question 1 – Voter approval of Question 1 would authorize amendment of the City Charter to allow the City to issue debt payable from funds other than property taxes without voter approval to respond to a declared emergency or disaster.
- A “yes” vote means you are in favor of amending the City Charter to allow the City Commission, in response to a declared state of emergency, to issue or incur debt without voter approval. This debt would be paid from funds other than property taxes.
- A “no” vote means you are in favor maintaining the status quo that requires the City Commission, in response to a declared state of emergency, to first get voter approval before issuing or incurring debt.
Question 3 – Voter approval of Question 3 would authorize the City to issue up to $115 million in bonds to finance a new police department headquarters facility. The debt service on the bonds would be paid from ad valorem property taxes levied in amounts sufficient to pay debt service.
- A “yes” vote means you support allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $115 million) to finance a new police department headquarters facility, and that you support using ad valorem property tax monies to pay the debt service on the bonds.
- A “no” vote means you do not support allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $115 million) to finance a new police department headquarters facility, the debt service of which would be paid from ad valorem property tax monies.
Question 4 – Voter approval of referendum Question 4 would authorize the City to issue up to $14 million in bonds to finance a new solid waste transfer station. The debt service on the bonds would be paid from the revenues of the City’s Solid Waste District.
- A “yes” vote means you support allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $14 million) to finance a new solid waste transfer station, and that you support using revenues of the City’s Solid Waste District to pay the debt service on the bonds.
- A “no” vote means you oppose allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $14 million) to finance a new solid waste transfer station, and that you oppose using revenues of the City’s Solid Waste District to pay the debt service on the bonds.
Question 5 – Voter approval of Question 5 would authorize the City to issue up to $17 million in bonds to finance capital improvements to the City’s wastewater treatment facility on Pan American Boulevard. The debt service on the bonds would be paid from the revenues of the City’s water and sewer utility system.
- A “yes” vote means you support allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $17 million) to finance capital improvements to the wastewater treatment facility on Pan American Boulevard, and that you support using revenues of the City’s water and sewer utility system to pay the debt service on the bonds.
- A “no” vote means you oppose allowing the City Commission to issue bonds (not to exceed $17 million) to finance capital improvements to the wastewater treatment facility on Pan American Boulevard, and that you oppose using revenues of the City’s water and sewer utility system to pay the debt service on the bonds.
About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, and the trusted “eyes and ears” of Florida taxpayers for more than 45 years, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it has served since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.
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