Lee tax rate unchanged despite challenges
The headlines out of Washington, D.C. are hard to miss and hardly ever change. Congress is bickering over the budget with the threat of another government shutdown looming over their heads.
For everyday Americans, inflation is skyrocketing while D.C. politicians are perpetually campaigning. But here at home your local government is quietly working to serve you and to protect your quality of life day in and day out. Even though we have spent the last year rebuilding from Hurricane Ian, Lee County and the state of Florida remain steady in a sea of dysfunction.
When commissioners began working on the budget for next year, we focused on three core areas; mitigating the financial impacts from Hurricane Ian, supporting law enforcement, and moving forward on our road projects needed to deal with our growing population. The county not only accomplished each of those goals, but also was able to do it without an increase in the property tax rate, known as the millage.
This year’s process was unlike any before it. Hurricane Ian is the third costliest storm in U.S. history, only behind Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. It wiped out $9.5 billion worth of our tax base. However, despite the daunting impact to our budget, fiscally conservative commissioners were able to keep the tax rate the same as last year. In fact, over the past ten years we have reduced the tax rate by 9.5%, even though in that same period our population has increased by 25%, bringing with it a higher demand for services.
The countywide general fund budget pays for core services whether you live inside a city or not. It provides for things like the Sheriff’s Office, ambulance service, and parks. It also pays for the other local constitutional offices like the Clerk of Courts, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and the Property Appraiser. Next year’s budget prioritizes public safety and provides salary increases for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that law enforcement officers can afford to live in our community while protecting our residents.
The budget continues to provide the level of service our citizens deserve and expect from county government departments.
To make sure we have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate our growing population, commissioners have budgeted $535 million on our most important Tier 1 road projects for the next 10 years. Some of the projects on this list include the Alico extension to State Road 82, Three Oaks Parkway Extension, the new Big Carlos Pass Bridge, and the new Cape Coral Bridge.
It has been a trying few years for all of us, from blue-green algae and red tide outbreaks to COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian. Each time we’ve faced adversity, our county has rallied. We will rebuild our homes and businesses and keep this county the destination of choice for people to live, work and raise a family. I am excited to see us finish the job of rebuilding, and I promise that the steady leadership you have come to expect from your local elected officials will continue.
Brian Hamman is the chairman of the Lee County Commission.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee tax rate unchanged despite challenges
