A SECOND TRY AT A FIRST DRAFT
The Arduin Laffer & Moore website explains the services the firm provides. Image from www.
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DESPITE SHARP CRITICISM OF A CONSULTANT'S FISCAL NEUTRALITY
REPORT, SARASOTA COUNTY MOVES AHEAD WITH ITS CONTRACT
By Cooper Levey-Baker
Associate Editor
The Sarasota County Commission this week
roundly dismissed the first draft of an analysis of portions of the county's Sarasota 2050
Plan, while at the same time absolving Laffer
Associates, the consulting firm that prepared
it, of blame, and recommitting to its contract
with the company.
neutrality is the principle that a new development generates enough county revenue in the
form of impact fees and taxes that it compensates for any increase in demand for public
services.
Laffer delivered the first draft of its report two
weeks ago, and it has been the subject of blisThe county signed the deal with Laffer, tering criticism from all sides. The draft calls
t h e Te n n e s s e e for the total eliminabased firm, in early
tion of fiscal neutrality,
They did what they were asked to do. all zoning rules and
September, agreeing
to pay $90,000 for a
the county's Urban
Charles Hines
review of Sarasota
Service Boundary,
Vice Chairman
Sarasota County Commission
2050's fiscal neutrality
among other things,
requirements. Fiscal
and draws on the
