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Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2013 possibility of utilizing a facility near a commercial center, which would make it convenient for people to do errands or some shopping as well. That also would be a boon to the commercial enterprises, he noted. Page 18 er and fire detection services. The lease went into effect as of Dec. 15, 2012, and it ends Jan. 31, 2015, according to a memo provided to the County Commission in November 2012. The Westfield Sarasota Square Mall offered the county a cost per square foot that was $7 less The Gulf Gate Library's temporary location at than other sites staff investigated, according Westfield Sarasota Square Mall, for example, to a staff report. Hines said, has been beneficial to both library patrons and the businesses in the shopping Reid told the commissioners that Ed Gable, the county's director of general services, center. would be looking at all the possibilities for a Then Patterson suggested the possibilicentral location for the drivers' license center ty of the Tax Collector's Office leasing the Ford-Coates needs. "We will get the best deal 18,000-square-foot storefront in the mall afwe can," he added. ter the new Gulf Gate library is completed in late 2014. "You might just take a look at that GENERAL BUDGET DETAILS space," she told Ford-Coates. In her presentation to the County Commis"We'll look at it," Ford-Coates responded, not- sion, Ford-Coates pointed out that the couning, though, that the goal will be convenience, ty's general fund does not cover her office's enabling people to complete their driving tests expenses. That funding comes from the $15 in as little time as possible. million in fees her staff takes in for various services, she said. However, Robinson pointed out that, because that is a commercial space, the cost would be Moreover, Ford-Coates noted, "Our costs per high. capita continue to be significantly lower than all other tax collectors on the west coast of "I thought we got a super deal," Patterson reFlorida." plied, referring to the library lease. Last year, she said, her office returned about Robinson said that, as an attorney, she had $8.5 million to the county. handled commercial leases in the past. Such long-term leases have escalators, she noted. Her projected budget for FY 2014 shows operThe library lease "was outside the normal be- ating costs up 6.3 percent from FY 2013, Fordcause it was a temporary lease." Coates said, with 4.8 percent of that related to rising healthcare expenses and the 3 percent "I figured they also sort of looked at us as a merit pay raise Reid has proposed for county magnet and were really quite anxious to have employees. The remainder is for the two new [the library]," Patterson said of the deal with employees she is proposing to add in both Westfield. her Sarasota and Venice offices as her staff The lease calls for the county to pay $5,441.58 prepares to take over all the driver license reper month, plus $80 a month for water/sew- sponsibilities. %