[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6389894,"mediaKeyId","2112967-bb24b5208b0cebddae8c7b12707d89f5","parentId",2112967,"title","North Port commissioners direct staff to place $115M police headquarters, $31M infrastructure borrowing on May 13 special election","audioSeconds",5605,"startMs",3741000,"endMs",9346000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112967-bb24b5208b0cebddae8c7b12707d89f5&start=3741&end=9346","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112967-bb24b5208b0cebddae8c7b12707d89f5/thumbnail_3741000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6389894/North-Port/Sarasota-County/Florida/North-Port-commissioners-direct-staff-to-place-115M-police-headquarters-31M-infrastructure-borrowing-on-May-13-special-election","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389894-2c0a206a5b97c307b54a9ac549bcf069/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190538&Signature=ll6F2R4EAlj2yZ-0DItd9bNFtA9qLtfnYT0f43mHETIMnqmiQ2KX22nCMGKk9AKp0JTllf4LiYWH3UnQzavU6LPypCCo2nm~gwygTYIFYHGjMMS684MrKcqnAoDyIV5yTM3WaqoG2e~miXhdJ9D3vppwK1D0TR5XbT3B0FhzDOOKRhjSljHp4-p6VDsuhhAZ~Ii0B8nP0Tvc1-2Fe56V346HVc~w6Y7xgnszEimIdT7hxe1lzuCAE0dYyLIdD3aygKJuOE4UllaCMy903xLif6b32a5PaC-T5kyBXZiW5mxS1GByN68LapeCOzb3wjcgOiiM2kp31yZKlBwmZ5tbCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of North Port, FL","date","2025-01-06T00:00:00Z","article","The North Port City Commission on Monday gave staff direction to place two borrowing questions on the May 13 special election ballot: authorization to borrow $115,000,000 to finance a new police headquarters and authorization to borrow up to $31,000,000 for three identified infrastructure projects.

City Manager Fletcher outlined the police headquarters proposal and financing scenarios during a general-business presentation. He described a 108,000-square-foot design with optional space that staff says would serve projected needs through 2065. “If you borrowed the $115,000,000 model ... that would total out to a $121 annually or $0.33 a day for the taxpayer,” Fletcher said. The staff presentation assumed a household illustrative value of about $246,400 for display of estimated tax impacts and explained alternate packages that mix millage-supported bonds with sales-surtax-backed debt.

The $31,000,000 infrastructure borrowing authority would be tied to three named projects: a new solid-waste transfer station (estimated cost $15,000,000; funding gap $12,500,000), a master pumping station in the Forest Main area (estimated cost $3,300,000), and an effluent pumping station and pipeline (approximately 60% designed; funding gap about $15,000,000). City staff described the transfer station as a capacity and efficiency project that reduces truck travel time and fleet wear. Staff said the two utility projects would be paid from utility enterprise revenue or district assessments and that the transfer station would be paid from district assessments, not the general fund.

Commission discussion focused on how to pay the city’s share. Commissioners debated using surtax proceeds that the city will receive from a countywide surtax allocation versus asking taxpayers to support the bonds via a millage-rate increase. City staff said applying $25,000,000 of surtax to the police headquarters would reduce the millage-based portion of the borrowing but would require reprioritizing or deferring surtax projects on a multi-year schedule. Several commissioners said the surtax list of county-approved projects should be reviewed before reallocating funds.

City staff also provided logistics: the special election would cost approximately $131,000, referendum language must be delivered to the supervisor of elections by Feb. 17, and the commission will return for ordinance second readings on Jan. 28. Staff recommended public engagement, including town-hall events, and reiterated legal limits on staff communications (the city may provide factual information but staff cannot advocate for or against ballot measures).

Outcome and next steps: Commissioners recorded consensus direction to put the $115,000,000 police headquarters question and the up-to-$31,000,000 capital projects question on the May 13, 2025 ballot. Staff will prepare ordinances and ballot language for the required readings and for submission to the supervisor of elections. The commission also signaled it wants to continue public outreach and to review surtax project priorities and the city’s CIP before any surtax reallocation.

Why this matters: The ballot questions would authorize large borrowings that, if approved, would fund a long-planned police headquarters and several utility and solid-waste projects. The choice between using property-tax-supported bonds and reallocating surtax revenue could affect other local capital projects and the tax bills of North Port homeowners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of North Port City Commission Workshop Jan 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Jan. 6 workshop the City Commission gave staff consensus direction to put a $115 million police headquarters borrowing question and up to $31 million for three infrastructure projects on the May 13, 2025 special election ballot, and debated whether to use surtax proceeds or a millage increase to pay part of the cost.","taxTitle","North Port, Sarasota County, Florida","taxId",4668,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389899,"PFM study: New land-use rules could add jobs, revenue to North Port but market adoption uncertain",2722,118000,2840000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112967-bb24b5208b0cebddae8c7b12707d89f5&start=118&end=2840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112967-bb24b5208b0cebddae8c7b12707d89f5/thumbnail_118000.jpg","/articles/6389899/North-Port/Sarasota-County/Florida/PFM-study-New-land-use-rules-could-add-jobs-revenue-to-North-Port-but-market-adoption-uncertain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389899-7d5fdee877643db91da9ecf50c16933f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190538&Signature=RMeLYPBQSjJmL6VJ7v6q2Ps-gvp3NxIFMa77nDIQGwV69Ewjq3Gr2GFMMN6t93GfcnNbitGh-5589LdvrPHXdgiiNws1lxz8tL4aOKTibJaP496RrEAysl5UoZAMlCA27Qqug6pw-S9MVyZvbVDGvuWiM66bso2QExq2xyUsMTaZo2WK~iv9Wisl0HvSVZz84mhRuALs8eTnfAuf5RbL05gM34Z1zLVT4XlTa3puqUw-dwIAq22km6QiGljulEhg8RJ0Wp6TI2D8tOsStbLyFQM08K1IBVzUHIrEwD3BhDwgd8AOs7CRgIMjGkncMqolrXo~VCzymLDMIso4gXeSCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants from PFM Financial Advisors presented a fiscal- and economic-impact analysis to the North Port City Commission on Monday, saying changes to the city’s Unified Land Development Code could generate substantial new population, employment and taxable value — but that those benefits depend on how quickly the market adopts the new rules.

The PFM team described three modeled scenarios: a “historic” scenario using the previous ULDC and roughly 3% annual population growth; a high-adoption updated-ULDC scenario with faster growth and a higher jobs-to-resident ratio; and a slower-adoption updated-ULDC scenario that assumes historical population growth but greater job density than the historic baseline. “The net fiscal impact is strongly positive across development scenarios,” PFM presenter Mallory Richards said during the presentation.

PFM said the updated-ULDC scenarios increase North Port’s residential and nonresidential buildout relative to the historic model. The consultants reported that North Port currently has about 40,000 residential units and roughly 5 million square feet of nonresidential space; under the updated-ULDC scenarios, multifamily development would gradually take a larger share and nonresidential square footage could rise substantially to accommodate new jobs. PFM also showed projections that, depending on market response, additional revenue for the city could be “in excess of $70,000,000” in 2035 from property taxes and district fees tied to development schedules.

PFM explained key modeling assumptions during the workshop. The team said it used a per-capita approach for many operating revenues and expenditures and direct estimation for property-tax and district-fee revenue. Among model inputs: a 1.5% annual growth in market value used as a forecast plug for taxable value and an assumption that the city’s millage rate remains unchanged for forecasting purposes. Garrett Hinken of PFM noted technical limits in the presentation software but reiterated the methodology and assumptions.

Commissioners and staff focused discussion on timing, infrastructure needs and how the model will be used. PFM and city staff repeatedly cautioned that the model is a planning tool that should be updated annually or when major assumptions change. “From a planning perspective, you created the opportunity because you’re reducing the volume of single family lots ... but what you don’t know is how quickly that’s going to occur,” a PFM presenter said. Commissioners expressed that they expect a delayed market response and questioned how soon revenues would materialize for capital projects.

The PFM team also reviewed how additional revenues could support major capital needs. Presenters explained financing options — from pay-as-you-go to general obligation bonds, sales surtax-backed bonds and public-private financing — and said the model can be updated to test alternative funding packages as the city finalizes its capital improvement plan. City staff and PFM said the model is calibrated to the city’s most recent annual financials and is intended to be a living tool that staff can update as budgeting and development data arrive.

The presentation closed with commissioners asking for continued access to the model and for staff to return with related capital-improvement studies. PFM said it would include more detailed sector-level employment and wage breakdowns in the final report.

Why this matters: North Port officials are using the fiscal analysis to ground policy decisions about infrastructure and public-safety facilities. The magnitude and timing of revenue growth will affect whether projects are funded from existing reserves, new bonds, surtax allocations or other sources.","Consultants told the North Port City Commission an updated Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) could substantially increase population, jobs and taxable value over 30 years, producing positive net fiscal impacts — but officials were repeatedly warned the timing of that market response is uncertain.","actionData","errors"]

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North Port commissioners direct staff to place $115M police headquarters, $31M infrastructure borrowing on May 13 special election

PFM study: New land-use rules could add jobs, revenue to North Port but market adoption uncertain