Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/108313
Sarasota News Leader February 8, 2013 After enormous wrangling, the BRT route was proposed to use the old CSX Railroad route from the airport to near downtown. That was the official and approved plan. But on Tuesday, the city and county commissioners killed that idea and picked U.S. 41 instead. The decision will require an explanation to the federal government, which paid more than $800,000 to fund a study that decided the railroad was the best route. To propose U.S. 41, the county must pay $850,000 more for another study explaining why the Tamiami Trail is the best path for a BRT line. Page 28 His only beef: change the administration of it. Commissioner Nora Patterson: "The county needs that extra $4 million a year. I'm as committed to the downtown as anybody at this table. I live in the city. I love the city. But I think extending this is not a good idea." Both the city and county governments have used financial reserves (e.g., "savings") to balance their budgets for the past several years during the economic downturn. Those reserves are running dry. County financial staffers are already budgeting the CRA's $4 million to return to county coffers in 2016. That THE $4 MILLION GOLD MINE means if the CRA is not allowed to die, the In 2016, when most of the current city and county budget starts in the hole in 2016. county commissioners will be retired and In other words, this was a prickly discussion gone from power, the Sarasota Community between two boards facing another year of Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will expire deficits in their proposed budgets. Their "savafter 30 years of existence. The CRA uses a ings" are dwindling, and neither board wants complex device called tax-increment financ- to propose a property tax increase. ing to provide the city today with an extra $4 A Feb. 5 memo to both boards sent in advance million in annual tax income. of the meeting notes that county contributions Furthermore, this is $4 million the city can to the CRA through the 2013 fiscal year have spend as it wants. The only limit: The funds totaled $53.7 million. The estimated remaining must be spent downtown to fight "slum and county contributions through the CRA's expiblight." Over the decades the CRA has paid ration in Fiscal Year 2016 total $11.4 million. for a wide variety of uses — more police, for example; beautification and infrastructure and The easy out was to kick the can down the much more. But in 2016, the CRA is over. Or road. Both commissions agreed to nominate is it? people to an ad hoc advisory committee to City commissioners were all in favor of con- work with the city manager and county adtinuing the CRA. None opined how far into ministrator to help them reach a conclusion the future it should continue, though. County on the fate of the $4 million. Ordained with unanimous votes of both bodies, the ad hoc fucommissioners' opinions were divided. ture-of-the-CRA advisory board was affirmed. Commissioner Joe Barbetta said, "It's been successful. We all win if we reinvest in our On the way out of the meeting, City Attorney Bob Fournier said the whatever-it-would-becommunity. I'm for extending it."