The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. 

To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.

Public comment will be taken only at the meeting location. Public input for issues not listed on the published agenda will be heard shortly after the meeting begins.

The meeting agenda and materials are posted one week before the meeting and can be found online at WaterMatters.org by clicking on the “Meeting & Events Calendar.” 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will host student internship career fairs Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., to recruit graduating high school seniors and college students. 

The fairs will take place simultaneously at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville, and at the District’s Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. in Tampa.

Student internships are available in several areas, including administrative, business, accounting, finance, maintenance and trades, engineering, information technology, procurement, legal, environmental science and more. District staff will be on site and available to speak with individuals interested in internship opportunities. 

The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation, well drilling, natural sciences and engineering, and many more. 

To see internship opportunities, please visit WaterMatters.org/Careers.

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Nancy Watkins and reappointed Ashley Bell Barnett, Kelly Rice, and Joel Schleicher to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Watkins represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Bell Barnett represents Polk County, Rice represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and Schleicher represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties. 

Watkins, of Tampa, is a certified public accountant at Robert Watkins & Company, P.A. She earned her associate degree from Hillsborough Community College and her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. Watkins is appointed to a term ending March 1, 2025.

Bell Barnett, of Winter Haven, was appointed to the Governing Board in December 2020. She is a former educator and a community advocate. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Bell Barnett is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

Rice, of Webster, was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015 and reappointed in September 2019. He is the president of Prime Property Resources, Inc., Rice Cattle Company, and Physical Therapy Services of Brooksville, Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of South Florida. Rice is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

Schleicher, of Sarasota, was appointed to the Governing Board in May 2017 and reappointed in July 2019. He is an experienced entrepreneur and is the Founder and Executive Chair of Focal Point Data Risk, LLC. Schleicher earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota. Schleicher is reappointed to a four-year term ending March 1, 2027.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to manage the water and related resources of west central Florida to meet the needs of current and future water users while protecting the environment.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board approved the purchase of Jordan Ranch, a 191-acre parcel of land adjacent to District-owned Two-Mile Prairie State Forest in Citrus County.

This important property purchase is within 1,000 feet of the Withlacoochee River and will allow the District to provide enhanced protection of natural systems, including wetlands and uplands with well-drained soils that contribute to aquifer recharge. This acquisition meets all four of the District’s Areas of Responsibility, which are water supply, water quality, flood control and natural systems. 

Jordan Ranch is approximately 45% wetlands and includes xeric hammock (an evergreen forest on well-drained sandy soils), pine flatwoods and freshwater marshes. The western boundary of Jordan Ranch adjoins Two-Mile Prairie State Forest which is owned by the District and managed by the Florida Forest Service (FFS). 

The parcel is being purchased for approximately $1.5 million with funds from the Florida Forever Trust Fund. Acquisition of Jordan Ranch is consistent with the District’s Florida Forever Workplan and falls almost entirely within the Florida Wildlife Corridor identified within the Nature Coast Critical Linkages.

The Jordan Ranch is located within unincorporated Citrus County along State Road 200.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board voted to decrease property taxes by adopting a proposed rolled-back millage rate of 0.2043 mill for the fiscal year 2024 budget.

The millage rate is 9.6% lower than the current fiscal year adopted millage rate of 0.2260 mill, which will save taxpayers $13.9 million.

For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $20.43 a year, or about $1.70 per month.

The total fiscal year 2024 proposed budget for the District is $224.8 million and includes $92.4 million for Cooperative Funding Initiatives and District grants.

Through these cooperative funding partnerships, District funds will be leveraged resulting in a total regional investment of $175.2 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements, and other water resource management projects. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024.

The District will hold a tentative budget hearing on Sept. 12 at 5:01 p.m. at the Tampa Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301.

The Governing Board will vote on the final budget on Sept. 26 at 5:01 p.m., at the Tampa Office.