At its August 18 meeting, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Manasota Basin Board adopted a fiscal year 2005 (FY2005) millage rate of 0.160 mill, which is the same as the current fiscal year.
The budget forFY2005 is $14,376,009, which represents an increase of $3,516,099 from the approvedFY2004 budget. The increase in the budget is primarily due to additional state funding for the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program and land management projects. Also increasing the budget were taxes due to new growth and increases in existing property values, and a higher remaining balance from last year’s budget.FY2005 will run from Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005.
For the owner of a $100,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption, theFY2005Basin Board tax would be $12, or $1 per month.
The Manasota Basin Board’sFY2005 budget includes Cooperative Funding projects. These projects are proposed by local governments, and are usually funded equally by the Basin Board and the local cooperator. One of the Manasota Basin Board’s Cooperative Funding projects is the City of North Port Watershed Management program in Sarasota County.
This watershed has significant flooding problems and is continuing to develop at a rapid rate. The project focuses on updating information so the city can address flood protection, preserve water supplies, natural systems, and water quality issues.
The total cost of this project is $1,155,585, with the Manasota Basin Board contributing $532,174 inFY 2005, of which $262,500 will be funded by the city of North Port.
The Basin Board’s budget also includes $1,998,597 for Water Supply and Resource Development. Water Supply and Resource Development projects
provide funding to projects to develop additional new sustainable alternative (non-groundwater) water supplies. One of the Water Supply and Resource Development projects is the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program.
TheFARMS program is a public/private partnership program designed to assist the agricultural communities throughout the basin, but primarily focuses on the Upper Myakka River Watershed. The goal is to help implement water conserving irrigation systems or other best management practices (BMPs) to reduce water usage and improve water quality. The Upper Myakka River Watershed includes portions of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
FARMS is an agriculturalBMP cost-share reimbursement program. Projects developed for the program must include one or more of the following resource benefits: water quality improvement, reduce Floridan aquifer withdrawals, conserve, restore, or augment the area’s water resources and ecology. Applicants will be required to sign a 5- to 20-year contract to be approved for theFARMS program.
The total project budget over the last three years for the District is $6,544,229 with the Manasota Basin Board contributing $907,278 inFY2005, of which $700,000 will be funded by the state.
The District has eight regional Basin Boards that provide guidance for local programs that are specific to the watershed basins they protect. The District’s ninth basin, the Green Swamp, is administered by the Governing Board. Basin Boards work with local governments and other entities on water resource projects that have an impact in local communities. Basin Boards often provide partial funding for these projects in partnership with a local government or local cooperator. The Manasota Basin Board area includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Basin Board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. They serve three-year staggered terms. Each of the Basin Boards includes a minimum of one person from each county within the basin, and there must be at least three members on each board. Each Basin Board has at least one of the 11 members of the District’s Governing Board that serves as the Board’s chair ex officio.
Two statutorily required public Truth In Millage (TRIM) hearings on the District’s total budget will be held in September. The first will be Sept. 14 at 5:01 p.m. at the District’s Tampa Service Office.
The Governor’s office will review and approve the budgets of all five water management districts before the second and final public hearing. The District’s second and finalTRIM hearing will be Sept. 28 at 5:01 p.m. at the District’s Brooksville headquarters. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Governing Board will formally adopt the final millage rates and budgets. The public is welcome to attend any Governing Board or Basin Board meetings to provide comment on the proposed budgets.