SRQ Daily Columnist Cathy Antunes serves on the boards of the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations and Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government. She blogs on local politics at www.thedetail.net

When contentious issues crop up between the City of Sarasota and the County, it is often the dual-taxed City taxpayer who winds up with the short end of the stick.  County threats to leave the City of Sarasota in 2003 wound up costing City residents 14 years worth of Community Redevelopment dollars.  City parks are in financial straits because the County divested itself of funding City park maintenance in 2011.  Will a new “cooperative” relationship with the County mean that dual-taxed City residents get the services we’ve paid for?

City taxpayers lost big in 2003, when the County threatened to move their offices out of the City. At the end of the day, the City signed a binding agreement with the County to end the Community Redevelopment Agency 14 years ahead of schedule—in 2016 instead of 2030.  In exchange, the County was supposed to legally commit to keeping their offices and courthouse in the City of Sarasota. Somehow that part of the agreement never happened.  

Negotiations to reduce County funding of City parks began in late 2010. In March 2011, the County threatened to close Lido pool, never including that possibility in many prior discussions. County Commissioners responsible for representing City of Sarasota residents were quiet about the way the County was strong-arming the City into accepting peanuts for park maintenance. In keeping the closing of Lido pool in their back pocket and putting it on the table to force an agreement, County officials demonstrated disregard for their City of Sarasota constituents’ quality of life and the financial contribution City residents make to County coffers. The City assumed control of 19 parks once maintained by the County. A handful of City parks remain partially funded by the County—repairs exceeding $5,000 annually are the responsibility of the City. The County’s contribution to City parks is a pittance, and the City struggles to fund these parks.  

Across the bay, Longboat Key gets nothing from the County for its park maintenance.  Town manager Dave Bullock has quantified how much in ad valorem taxes Longboat Key pays to the County—about $48 million per year. Bullock plans to ask the County to fund a new bayfront park for Longboat Key. It’s ironic that Bullock is now going to the County Commission on behalf of Longboat Key and asking for park funding for a municipality; Bullock worked to cut off park funding from the City of Sarasota in 2011 as Deputy County Administrator under Jim Ley.

The new City Commission can serve us by showing the County how much City residents pay in ad valorem taxes to the County every year. The City’s contribution to the County’s bottom line surely justifying seeing those dollars returned to fund City parks. City residents, who pay taxes twice, shouldn’t see their parks decline because the County doesn’t want to return tax dollars to fund City parks.

In the quest for an improved relationship with the County, the City Commission can add City park funding to its list of citizens’ concerns.

SRQ Daily Columnist Cathy Antunes serves on the boards of the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations and Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government. She blogs on local politics at www.thedetail.net