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The shelter and related efforts have moved to the top of the county's priority list. "We would like to secure the partnership funding and the sites required to move forward our homeless initiative," said Charles Henry, director of Sarasota County Health and Human Services, during an update to the commissioners last Friday. Other upcoming county expenses will be associated with infrastructure, including bridge maintenance and road resurfacing. Commissioners have already drawn attention this year to those needs, some of which were not attended to during the recession. During the Feb. 21 workshop, Robinson asked when the infrastructure budget discussion would be held. Capital projects, including road resurfacing and bridges, will be the focus of a March workshop, Harmer responded. A new $71 million Sheriff's Office campus would be another big expense not currently budgeted. The Cattlemen Road project, which the board has been discussing in depth since last year, is expected to become a lively topic as the commissioners explore fund- ing options. Sheriff Tom Knight has pointed out to the board that his facilities are spread out in more than 20 different buildings, that they are vulnerable to natural disasters and that the agency is operating in about half the space needed for a sheriff's department of the size and caliber of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. "If we were to approve it and say start work- ing on it now, we would be digging a real hole for the commission," Patterson said Friday of the Cattlemen Road complex. "I don't see a revenue stream for it, unless people want to approve a bond." "It is not funded now and it is not [a listed capital works] project," said Ed Gable, direc- tor of the county's Facilities Services Office. A POSSIBLE STATE HIT Regarding another point of concern, state legislators and Gov. Rick Scott have been considering tax and fee cuts in an effort they have touted as a means to draw more com- panies to Florida. Some of those legislative measures could impact local governments, including Sarasota County. Changes involving a communication services tax could decrease county revenue by $166,000 to $400,000, while a bill that would do away with a medi- cal examiner tax on cremation services could cost the county $228,000. For another example, Florida Senate Bill 176 could reduce the amount of state tax reve- nue the county receives by $400,000. It would lower the tax levied on rental or license fees charged for the use of commercial property. Robinson noted that Sen. Dorothy L. Hukill of Port Orange is working on a revenue neu- tral version of the bill, so it would have zero impact on counties. "That bill will continue to move through the process," said Rob Lewis, head of government relations for Sarasota County. DEPARTMENTS IN THE BLACK At the other end of the budget spectrum, there is a surplus in some department budgets, including those of Information Technology (IT), Fleet Services, Building and Zoning. The IT department has $9 million in unallo- cated reserve funds, while Fleet Services Sarasota News Leader February 28, 2014 Page 33