Town Council lists revenue sources
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council began listing ideas for revenue sources at a management and planning meeting in council chambers Wednesday, Nov. 18. All five members of the council and interim Town Manager Jack Green weighed in with their thoughts and concepts.
“We need to find other sources other than ad velorem taxes without adding expenses to the people that we have here,” said Councilman Bob Raymond. “We have some awful smart people here. Even if its something that sounds like its out-of-the world, you might be surprised that someone may be able to fine tune it and do something for us. I’d rather see something like this than bringing up the millage rate.”
The preliminary list of revenue sources that was assembled is in its initial stages of planning. Before any action can be taken, the list must be presented at a town council meeting where public comment will be heard and decisions can be made.
“We are relegated by the regulators on what we can or cannot do with our own town and our own property,” said Mayor Larry Kiker. “I want to take it away from there. I don’t want to go get a grant where somebody tells me how I have to run my town anymore. I want this town to be able to tell us how they want to run their town. And, we our the orchestrators of that.
“This is called a business plan. It has conditions of what’s good and what’s bad. You put your decision points in and measurements. We have to think this stuff out and all the way through. The pending conditions have to be recognized and dealt with.”
The following is a list of short-term and long-term revenue sources and benefits:
revenue sources revenue benefits
1 year 5 year long-term
annual short term fee x
ad-velorem x x x
green energy x
-solar
-wind
-tides
franchise fees x
tolls x
parks and recreation x
-mound
-newton
-borc
expand of parks and rec x
parking x
general fees x
-temporary licensing
fines x
impact fees x
grants x
utility x
-storm water
-water
water plant x
re-negotiating tax sharing x
-gas tax
-tourist tax
growth management initiatives x
-business opportunities ie. parking garages etc.
-transit system
-policy initiative
-increase property values
think tank – vision x x x
land acquisition x
financial structure x
in-house vs. out-sourcing xx