Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/90018
Sarasota News Leader October 5, 2012 RECOLLECTIONS AND PRACTICE When Commissioner Jon Thaxton insisted on Oct. 23 that the 90/10 split was codified in the ordinance governing the ESLPP program, Meese replied, "The 90/10 is not codified in any adopted work policy. It was only commu- nicated as part of the referendum campaign." "Well, it continues to be an understanding," Thaxton said. "This is the first time I've heard of this funding shift …" Thaxton added that without the split being codified, "We may get down the road and the split is 50/50, which would clearly be in vi- olation of the original commitment that was made to the voters. … We should be spending the 10 percent for the management and main- tenance, because that is what we told the vot- ers we were going to do. … That came from the building industry groups … and it was a good [recommendation], one that everyone embraced. So I think it's important that we hold true to it for both sides." Moreover, Thaxton said, he felt the full 10 per- cent was going to be necessary for mainte- nance. "I don't think we're going to get by with 6 or 7 percent. But somewhere it needs to be other than just implied." County Administrator Randall Reid told the board he would ask staff for a financial report on the amount of ad valorem tax revenue col- lected and how it had been divided up. "I'd like clarity in this," he added. "We might want to go out for another referendum sometime." "Thank you," Robinson told him. The County Commission "in some cases … ended up paying more than we would have paid today" for some of the environmentally Page 29 sensitive lands purchased through the pro- gram," Patterson said. "But land was pre- served that otherwise would have been built [upon]." She added, "I don't see the county … having in the next 10 to 20 years the kind of discre- tionary income that we had for a few years. I really am worried about today's level of main- tenance" for the property in the ESLPP pro- gram. She continued, "I don't want the program to end up a liability to the public as opposed to the huge asset that it's intended to be." "I'm concerned because I think we have a duty to properly maintain what we have," Robinson said. Finally, Thaxton pointed out, "We have a much broader discussion ongoing here today than the … discussion before us" about the amend- ment to the comprehensive plan." However, Thaxton said, "The bigger discus- sion has to be had," referring to the use of the ESLPP ad valorem revenue split for land maintenance. When Robinson asked for a motion on the matter before the board that day, Patterson offered the motion to recommend the pursuit of the comprehensive plan amendment to al- locate a portion of the TDR sales revenue to cover costs associated with preserved land management relative to the ESLPP. Thaxton seconded the motion, saying, "This policy is not inconsistent with the spirit of what was being considered at the time, that was being offered to the public and voted on by the public."