In November, city voters rejected a charter change that would have granted blanket approval to issue bonds to finance ‘health and safety’ projects backed by user fees
NORTH PORT – The city of North Port is preparing for a May 13 special election that could have four questions for voters, including whether to borrow money for some major projects.
Two questions involve the city’s borrowing authority and whether the city attorney and the clerk could live outside North Port.
Other questions may involve borrowing for specific water and sewer infrastructure projects, which would be financed through user fees, and issuing a bond to pay for a new North Port Police station, which would be repaid through property taxes.
City commissioners discussed the possible questions at a Jan. 6 workshop and can vote on what they’ll ask at a Jan. 14 meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. in North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd.
The special election would cost North Port $131,000.
Former Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson, executive director The Argus Foundation, raised concern about the potential for lower voter turnout during special elections.
The Argus Foundation was part of “Change the Date Sarasota,” a group that supported a 2018 referendum to change the date for Sarasota City Commission races to coincide with county, state and federal elections.
It also supported a city of Venice referendum to eliminate odd-year elections and extend council member terms from three years to four.’
At the Jan. 6 workshop, Mayor Phil Stokes stressed that it would be the elected officials’ responsibility to educate city voters on the need for the projects and encourage a large turnout.
Why is the city of North Port scheduling an off-year election?
While the question that would remove residency requirements for the city attorney and city clerk coincides with the search for a new full-time city attorney, the major push for the election is the need to finance several infrastructure projects.
City officials had hoped voters would approve a Nov. 5, 2024 referendum seeking to change North Port’s charter to allow for borrowing after emergencies such as Hurricane Ian. Current restrictions prevented North Port from participating in some state or federal low-interest loan programs or issue bonds that need to be repaid through special district fees without specific voter approval complicated post-hurricane recovery.
Pushback in public meetings suggested that city voters would approve the emergency borrowing provision but not the one allowing for specific project funding without voter approval.
That position was shared by two newly elected commissioners, David Duval and Demetrius Petrow, who voiced opposition to that November amendment.
The May referendum will ask for emergency borrowing authority as well as authority for projects that would be paid for out of solid waste fees or utility fees.
What are the infrastructure projects North Port voters are being asked to approve?
One May question would cover borrowing to pay for roughly $31 million in capital improvement projects, including a $15 million solid waste transfer station for the eastern part of the city.
The city has about $2.5 million available and needs an additional $12.5 million, which would be financed through revenue bonds, backed by user fees already set aside to save up for a pay-as-you-go funding process.
Public Works Director Chuck Speake told the commission that without the transfer station, the city would have to add more drivers and trucks, and noted that with each truck traveling to the Sarasota County Landfill on Knights Trail Road, “We’re losing two to three hours a day per truck.”
Assistant City Manager Jason Yarborough said construction of a solid waste transfer station would “pay for itself,” since without it, transportation costs would increase exponentially.
The city also needs to borrow money for two water and sewer related projects.
The first is a $3.4 million master pumping station and force main to serve water needs of growth in the Toledo Blade and Price Boulevard area. The cost would be financed with a goal of starting construction in the 2027-28 fiscal year, to coordinate with growth.
The city also needs to borrow $15 million to pay for construction of a wastewater pumping station and corresponding pipeline. It currently has only $1 million of the projected $16 million project cost.
That project is needed for growth and to deal with existing wastewater transport needs during wet weather events, as flow already exceeds capacity during those storms.
How would the new police station be funded?
The current plan calls to borrow $115 million to build a new police station, which could be as large as 108,900 square feet, plus ancillary facilities, and is projected to cover the city’s growth through 2065.
An additional $5 million would come from the sale of the existing structure to the city’s building division and $10 million would come from state grants – though they’re not guaranteed, as state and federal officials typically look more favorably on “shovel ready” projects.
That tack would not redirect salex tax funding or require the sale of other city-owned properties – revenue teams that had been discussed in 2024.
The current property tax rate for city property owners is 3.7667 mills. The owner of a typical house with an assessed value of $246.400, pays about $739.78 in city property taxes.
To finance the $115 million bond, an additional 0.618 mills would be assessed, which would increase that overall tax bill by $121.38.
What’s next?
Should the city commission act on establishing the special election questions on Tuesday, the corresponding ordinance would require two public hearings to be put on the special election ballot.
By state law, the city can host informational pages on its web site and employees can answer factual information about the proposed referendum. They are prohibited from influencing voters.
Elected officials are not constrained by those laws and any of the five commissioners may host town hall meetings, similar to what Stokes did prior to the Nov. 5, 2024 general election.