County commissioners consider $109 million referendum

Sarasota County commissioners held off on a final decision to approve a $109 million referendum during Friday’s budget workshop.

At February’s workshop, the commissioners reviewed the Ringling Boulevard corridor of county services and decided to focus on $95 million public safety campus, which will be located near the intersection of Cattleman Road and Bahia Vista. The county completed construction on the Emergency Operations Center at the same location March 10. During February’s workshop, County Administrator Tom Harmer told the board the most viable way to fund the large scale project was through a voter referendum.

However, when faced with the possible referendum timeline at Friday’s workshop, commissioners decided to delay an official decision until they could receive more information about other projects which could possibly be included in the referendum.

County staff presented a tentative bond total and schedule to the board. The public safety campus will cost $95 million, but staff also included the central energy plant within the referendum. The plant, which chills water that circulates through the air conditioning units in the county’s downtown facilities, needs to be expanded. The cost of a new plant is estimated to cost $13.8 million.

The plant was originally supposed to be located in the expansion of the Ringling Boulevard parking garage, but county staff sought the board’s direction after the commissioners expressed their desire not to expand any more services in downtown Sarasota.

“We’d like to find a place to put it—we’re reaching a bigger problem,” Ed Gable, division manager for facilities and fleet management for the county, told the board. The plant needs to be replaced in the next 3 years, as its infrastructure will only continue to deteriorate and lose efficiency.

The public safety campus and energy plant brought the bond for the referendum to a grand total of $109 million. Staff presented a basic timeline, which stated the Supervisor of Elections had to be notified up to 120 days in advance before the referendum could be posted on a ballot, and if it were successful, the county would have 90 days to issue the bonds.

“These numbers scare you,” said Commissioner Charles Hines. “They aren’t wish lists. These are things that have been put off. It’s the hardest thing of the commission. The energy plant—it’s not a nice new park, but we’ve got to have it.”

However, all the commissioners agreed they would want to put the referendum on a regular ballot rather than hold a special election.

Commissioner Christine Robinson suggested county staff investigate if the expansion of the Roger L. Anderson Administration Building in Venice could be included on the referendum, and learn more about this project before moving forward with the referendum.

Harmer agreed to develop a bigger list of projects that could be included in the referendum and bring back the list for a final decision in the May budget workshop.

“As soon as we can, we need to communicate this to the public. People have no clue about the central energy plant,” Chairwoman Carolyn Mason said. “We need to be starting now (on education) if we want a referendum.”