SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla – From property taxes to fire fees, there’s been a lot of talk lately about how your taxpayer money is being spent.
For over three decades, a majority of voters in Seminole County have given their approval for a one cent sales tax, where funds are collected on the sale of consumer goods to visitors and residents to improve infrastructure.
Tuesday, county commissioners discussed their priorities for “non-transportation” projects that will be included in the fourth generation of the penny sales tax.
When voters approved a referendum in November of last year, the project categories were expanded beyond roads, flooding, trails, and more to also include “park infrastructure” and “other public infrastructure.”
Estimates shown to the commission by staff Tuesday included a total of $650 million in revenue that the penny sales tax is expected to generate in the next 10 years. About $250 million of that total amount would go towards parks and other projects.
Commissioners were also presented with a list of potential projects that those funds could go towards:
- Animal Services Building
- County Administration Building
- Medical Examiner Building
- Rollings Hills Trail & Park Improvements
- Rosenwald Property
- WB Equestrian Center Building
In September, our News 6 team toured the county’s animal shelter which operates at 130% capacity on average. Staff explained how overcrowding wasn’t the only issue, but how overuse has also led to a list of improvements needed.
[VIDEO: Seminole County’s animal shelter has a list of needs. Here’s how leaders plan to fix them]
Emergency Manager Alan Harris, who oversees Seminole County Animal Services, told commissioners at the time about needed renovations to surgical suites, kennel gates and doors that aren’t functioning well, painting needs, and overall upgrades to the adoption and administration building.
The shelter has also been running a generator and portable air conditioning units to keep animals and staff comfortable in the kennels.
News 6 has also reported on an expansive project underway to transform Rolling Hills golf course into a community park and build a community center on the site of the Rosenwald school in Altamonte Springs.
A new multi-story office administration building and parking garage at what’s called the Five Points campus would become a new headquarters for the Commission chambers, staff, Property Appraiser’s and Tax Collector’s offices.
The construction of a medical examiner facility would become a regional facility with Lake County and include administrative offices, autopsy and pathology suites, and more.
The county also acquired 40-plus acres of the WB Equestrian site and plan to turn the existing horse barn into an office building.
At Tuesday’s meeting Commissioner Andria Herr asked staff how much the entire “wish list” of projects would cost. Staff gave a rough estimate of $210-214 million.
Most commissioners agreed that the purpose of Tuesday’s worksession was just to have a high-level discussion at what’s to come.
[VIDEO: Seminole Towne Center set for historic redevelopment with Costco, apartment complex]
“We’re going to have planning sessions and work sessions for the county, for the county commission to bless those and understand each and every cost,” Chairman Jay Zembower told News 6 after the meeting. “We just ended the third. We’re starting on the fourth. So, this is a very good planning device on moving those projects forward.”
“What we learned today is just on the third generation of the $380 million collected, we were able to leverage another $175 million on top of the discount of 25% that local taxpayers are not paying. So, we’re seeing a huge benefit for this,” said Zembower.