Member Login | Become a Member | Business Directory
KEY WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • Visit Key West
    • Community Calendar
    • Getting Here
    • Map & Places of Interest
    • Places to Stay >
      • Lodging Online Booking
    • Places to Dine
    • Things to Do >
      • The Florida Keys & Key West
    • Weddings
    • Sunset Times
  • Live, Work & Relocate
    • New Residents Guide
    • Important Telephone Numbers
    • City of Key West >
      • Utilities
      • Disaster Preparedness Resources
    • Monroe County >
      • School/College Registration
      • Auto/Drivers License Info
      • Fishing/Hunting/Boating Licenses Info
    • Latest Community News
    • Job Listings >
      • Job Board
  • The Chamber
    • Why Join the Chamber >
      • Membership Application
      • Testimonials
      • Member Login
      • Membership Referral
    • Board of Directors >
      • How to Become A Board Member
    • Chamber Staff
    • Chamber Calendar >
      • BBQ Rib Battle
    • Committees
    • Chamber Resources >
      • Business Magazine Archive
      • Business Directory
      • Member Discounts and Affinity Programs
    • Awards >
      • Athena Award Nominations
    • Chamber News >
      • Cybersecurity and Ransomware
    • Photo Gallery
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Foundation
    • Tom Sawyer Five Star Program
    • Teacher Appreciation
    • Past Scholarship Award Winners
  • A Guide to Tourist Development Tax for Home Rentals
  • Economic Partners
  • Quick Facts

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CONSIDER CHARTER COUNTY OPTION

5/17/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will explore options to become a charter county in order to pursue alternatives to fund transportation and infrastructure pitfalls that will be forthcoming in the future. The BOCC gave preliminary direction to the County Attorney’s office to draft a proposed charter that will be the subject of future workshops and public hearings. 
 
The Commission took this step to explore revenue options only available to charter counties. The BOCC came to this point after unsuccessfully trying to convince the State Legislature to create a new type of tax to fund sustainability-related expenses due to rising flood waters and other climate-related effects. Unfortunately, without the support of Tallahassee leadership to authorize that new type of tax, the County did not have the option of asking local voters if they would approve that tax. However, the transportation surtax is available under current law for charter counties for a broad range of transportation and transit-related expenditures. As a non-charter county, Monroe County voters would have to approve a charter to take advance of the transportation surtax. Since the transportation surtax is authorized by current law, local voters could approve that tax without the permission of Tallahassee.
 
The transportation surtax would function much like the current one-penny infrastructure sales surtax that has been in place for decades. In 2022, County voters approved extending that tax with over 65 percent approval. Experience has shown that roughly 2/3 of sales taxes collected in the Florida Keys is paid by visitors, so the transportation surtax would be expected to shift the majority of the cost of the transportation and transit improvements from local taxpayers to visitors. 
 
The commissioners said they have absolutely no desire to interfere in the operations of the municipalities in Monroe County and directed County Attorney Bob Shillinger to draft a charter that preserves municipal independence. Charters in other counties allow county rules to preempt city rules, but the BOCC expressed its desire that a Monroe County charter would not do so.  
 
For reference, Monroe County has many active road resiliency projects in progress and projects that will need to be done in the future, as well as bridgework that will need to be completed, other major infrastructure projects, and ongoing maintenance costs of existing infrastructure.
 
Examples
 
1. Roads (active) ($36 million)
a. Sands Subdivision: Current cost ‐ $22 million; available grant $8.1 million
b. Twin Lakes: Current estimate $11 million; grants of $9.4 million
c. Stillwright Point: Old estimate $22 million; design grant of $1.5 million
2. Roads (in the pipeline) ( $44.5 million + $1.07 billion)
a. Conch Key: estimate $8 million; Resilient FL grant $4 million (50%)
b. Winston Waterways: estimated $31 million; Hoping for Resilient Florida $15.5 million
c. Big Coppitt: estimated $50 million; Hoping for Resilient Florida $25 million
d. Remaining roads modeled to need work by 2030 estimated at $1.07B
3. Bridges ($68 million)
a. Sugarloaf: design complete; estimated at $5‐6 million
b. Similar Sound: estimated at $7‐8 million
c. Card Sound: estimated at $54 million by 2030
Other Bridge information to consider: Sammy’s Creek Bridge serves 2 houses, Geiger Key Bridge serves 3 houses, and the No Name Key Bridge serves 42 houses with a replacement likely more than $20 million (it is almost the same length as Card Sound Bridge)
 
Other Major Items ($24-$27 million a year)
1. TraumaStar ($53 million) ($4.5 million/yr thru 2038)
2. Still paying off sewer debts
a. $12 million/yr thru 2025
b. $10.2 million/yr 2026 ‐ 2030
c. $9.4 million/yr 2031 ‐ 2038
3. 2014/16 capital debt through 2026 ($6 million/yr)
4. Seven Mile Bridge commitment ($0.7 million/yr thru 2051)
5. Increasing Insurance ($3‐$5 million)
 
Ongoing costs of operations and maintenance of already existing infrastructure
1. 5% ‐ 6% of initial capital outlay per year (corrected for inflation)
2. Examples
a. Plantation Key Courthouse and Jail ‐ $1.8 million/year
b. Emergency Operations Center (starting FY25) ‐ $1.8 million/year
c. Pumps on road projects will incur utility bills and maintenance costs
d. In 2011, it was estimated that regular road replacement on a 20-year cycle would require $4 million/yr. In 2022 dollars, it is closer to $7.8 million/yr (using NHCCI from USDOT)

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Submit Your Stories

    Chamber members send us your press releases on your organizations accomplishments, staff awards and/or major happenings. We will post them for free. 

    Email to [email protected]

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022

    Categories

    All
    200th Anniversary
    2021 Income Taxes
    Annual
    A Positive Step Of Monroe County
    Art
    Artists
    Awards
    Bangkok Happy Bowl Asian Bistro
    Baseball
    Beach Weekend
    Bicycle Action Committee
    Biking
    Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
    Casa Marina
    Ceremony
    City Manager
    City Of Key
    City Of Key West
    City Of Key West Transit
    Civil War Heritage Days
    Classical Music
    College Of The Florida Keys
    Committee
    Community Foundation Of The Florida Keys
    Community Health Systems
    Concerts
    Conservation
    Contest
    Contractors
    County Commissioners
    Doctor
    Dolphin Research Center
    Donation
    Educational Event
    Elks Lodge 551
    Emergency Preparedness
    Employment Opportunity
    Environment
    Everglades National Park
    Exhibitions
    Exit Realty
    Fantasy Fest
    FDOT
    FEMA
    Festival
    Film Festival
    Filming
    Florida Department Of Revenue
    Florida Department Of Transportation
    Florida Keys Children's Shelter
    Florida Keys Council Of The Arts
    Florida Keys History Center
    Florida Keys Wildlife Society
    FloridaMakes Affirm
    Florida SBDC Network
    Florida Small Business Development Center At FIU
    Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
    Funds
    Grants
    Greater Key West Chamber Of Commerce
    Habitat For Humanity
    Harry S. Truman Foundation
    Harry S. Truman Little White House
    Hemingway 5K Sunset Run
    Hemingway Days
    Higgs Beach
    Historic Florida Keys Foundation
    History Of Diving Museum
    Holidays
    Honor
    Hyatt
    Jag Gallery
    Job Fair
    Just A Few Friends
    Key 93.7
    Key Lime Pie
    Key LIme Pie Fest
    Keys Citizen
    Keys Energy
    Keys Medical Group
    Keys To Be The Change
    Key West Art Center
    Key West Art & Historical Society
    Key West Artisan Market
    Key West Bicentennial
    Key West Botanical Garden Society
    Key West Business Guild
    Key West Cemetery
    Key West Chamber Of Commerce Foundation
    Key West City Commission
    Key West City Hall
    Key West Code Compliance
    Key West Community Services
    Key West Fire Department
    Key West Firehouse Museum
    Key West Gallery
    Key West High School
    Key West International Airport
    Key West Mayor
    Key West Playbills
    Key West Police Department
    Key West Theater
    Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
    Key West Vacation Properties & Realty
    Key West Veteran
    Key West Wildlife Center
    Key West Woman's Club
    Key West Writers Guild
    Leadership Monroe
    Leadership Monroe County
    Loans
    Local
    Lower Keys Medical Center
    Mallory Square
    MARC
    Marquesa Hotel
    Mel Fisher
    Memorial Bridge
    Mentorship
    Mile 0 Fest
    Military
    MLK Celebration
    Monrnoe County
    Monroe Ccouty
    Monroe Cou
    Monroe County
    Monroe County Fire & Rescue
    Monroe County Fire Rescue
    Monroe County Historian
    Monroe County Public Library
    Monroe County School District
    Monroe County Sheriff's Office
    Monroe County TDC
    Monroe County Tourist Development Council
    National Park Service
    Nonprofit
    Offshore Sailing School
    Ordinance
    Parking
    Peter MacDougall
    Pier House
    Poetry
    Poinciana
    Presentation
    Radio One Key West
    Rainbow Cone
    Rams Head Presents
    Real Estate
    Reception
    Recycle
    Reports
    Ribbon Cutting
    Rural Health Network Of Monroe County
    Safety
    Saint Leo
    Sales Tax Holiday
    Softball
    Sponsor
    Students
    Summer
    Sunset Watersports
    Taxes
    TDC
    Tennessee Williams Museum
    Tenne Williams Theate
    Teri Johnston
    The College Of The Florida Keys
    The Navy League
    The Studios Of Key West
    The Wesley House
    Time Capsule
    Tour
    Transient Rental
    Transit
    Trash Pick Up
    Tree City USA
    Tropic Cinema
    Truman Waterfront Market
    Truman Waterfront Park
    Turtles
    United Way
    U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcemet
    U.S. Small Business Administration
    Volunteer
    Walk On White
    Waterfront Winter Wonderland
    Williams Hall
    Womankind
    Woman's Club
    Wyland Mural
    Youth
    Youth Sports
    Zonta

    RSS Feed

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce.  All Rights Reserved.
510 Greene St., First Floor  |  Key West, FL 33040
[email protected] | sitemap
Picture
  • Visit Key West
    • Community Calendar
    • Getting Here
    • Map & Places of Interest
    • Places to Stay >
      • Lodging Online Booking
    • Places to Dine
    • Things to Do >
      • The Florida Keys & Key West
    • Weddings
    • Sunset Times
  • Live, Work & Relocate
    • New Residents Guide
    • Important Telephone Numbers
    • City of Key West >
      • Utilities
      • Disaster Preparedness Resources
    • Monroe County >
      • School/College Registration
      • Auto/Drivers License Info
      • Fishing/Hunting/Boating Licenses Info
    • Latest Community News
    • Job Listings >
      • Job Board
  • The Chamber
    • Why Join the Chamber >
      • Membership Application
      • Testimonials
      • Member Login
      • Membership Referral
    • Board of Directors >
      • How to Become A Board Member
    • Chamber Staff
    • Chamber Calendar >
      • BBQ Rib Battle
    • Committees
    • Chamber Resources >
      • Business Magazine Archive
      • Business Directory
      • Member Discounts and Affinity Programs
    • Awards >
      • Athena Award Nominations
    • Chamber News >
      • Cybersecurity and Ransomware
    • Photo Gallery
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Foundation
    • Tom Sawyer Five Star Program
    • Teacher Appreciation
    • Past Scholarship Award Winners
  • A Guide to Tourist Development Tax for Home Rentals
  • Economic Partners
  • Quick Facts