Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/305631
Administrator Steve Botelho, who is also the county's chief financial management officer, explained that staff is projecting the TDT funds to show an increase of 8.6 percent for FY 2015 compared to the current fiscal year. "We're still trying to stay somewhat conserva- tive," he told Patterson. Commissioner Joe Barbetta joined Patterson in voicing concerns that the average member of the public does not understand that TDT revenue, by law, can be used only for certain purposes — and not for road improvements, for example. In second place behind the TDT revenue for the first six months of the fiscal year, the county has seen a 9.6-percent rise over bud- get in Communications Services Tax revenue. The money comes from a 5.42-percent tax on retail sales of communications services, according to a chart presented to the board. The state collects the funds and remits them to the counties. Sarasota County had budgeted $4,931,776 for the first six months of FY 2014, but it has received $5,404,450 for that period. Botelho and his staff predict the revenue stream will increase by 8.5 percent in FY 2015. Yet another bright note is an increase of 4.7 percent in the infrastructure surtax revenue A chart shows mid-year revenue projections for a number of Sarasota County funding sources. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader May 2, 2014 Page 54