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Sarasota News Leader September 27, 2013 Page 23 Funding for these "start-up" costs has been pulled from a variety of sources in the past, from surtax dollars to the capital improvement fund. Two ordinance amendments unanimously approved by the commissioners on Wednesday, Sept. 25, set aside a dedicated portion of the revenue from the 0.25 mill tax — approved by voters in 2005 as part of the land acquisition programs — for the start-up costs. Now the same tax fund that fuels the purchase of the environmentally sensitive and neighborhood parklands will also pay for making these properties accessible to the public. One concern county staff voiced on Wednesday was that without the ordinance amendments, as the county continued to purchase and set aside more preserved space, the process could lead to a reliance on the surtax and general fund money, Meese said. The 129-acre Old Miakka Preserve was purchased in 2006 through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program. It has a network of trails. Photo courtesy of Sarasota County OPPOSING VIEWS "Some of the things that may have been budgeted through surtax can [now] be funded Lourdes Ramirez, president of Sarasota Counthrough the program funds," Meese told The ty Council of Neighborhood Associations Sarasota News Leader. (CONA) objected to the changes, calling for a 10-percent cap on how much of the land fund The first ordinance change sets aside up to can be set aside for the start-up costs. 15 percent of the purchase costs for startup projects when the county buys property "When voters decided to tax themselves, they through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands didn't have intentions to buy picnic tables," Protection Program (ESLPP). Ramirez told the commissioners at Wednesday's regular meeting. "They wanted to proThe other amendment tect parklands, not sets aside up to 25 buy picnic tables." percent of the acquiOne of the biggest complaints I sition expenses for heard is how [long] it takes us to allow Ramirez said she unstart-up projects when derstood the need for public access to the lands. the county buys park "some small" start-up space through the costs, but she did not Christine Robinson Commissioner Neighborhood Parkwant to see a large Sarasota County lands Program (NPP). portion of the revenue