That's some legacy

So now the Sarasota County Commission wants another $65 million to acquire 119 more acres of railroad track and right of way and then upgrade the property to extend the county’s Legacy Trail from Culverhouse Park to Fruitville Road.

That would take the total cost for what would become an 18-mile trail to $102.5 million of taxpayer money for a bike and walking trail.

To fund the $65 million that’s needed, Sarasota County voters will be asked to approve a bond referendum in the November 2018 general election. County staffers say paying off the bonds would result in a millage increase of 0.07, or $14 a year on $200,000 of taxable property value.

That doesn’t sound like much. But if your home is valued at, say, $2 million, that bike trail would cost you $140 more a year.

Expect an all-out PR campaign in favor of the popular trail leading up to the referendum. But how do you justify $65 million more for a “want” when you compare it to so many other “needs”?