Consolidation iceburg ahead?

[News Flash]

Consolidation iceburg ahead?

All the elected representatives of the towns and cities in Sarasota County met with the Board of County Commissioners in a workshop.

On the agenda was a memo from Jeff Seward, the county's chief financial planning officer, titled, "Where Do the Ad Valorem Dollars Go?"

It showed the Town of Longboat Key receiving a dime's worth of service for every tax dollar it sent to the county. And the City of Sarasota receiving in excess of $15 million per year more than it pays in property taxes to the county.

In virtually all of the seven categories surveyed by Seward, the City of Sarasota was a big gainer and the unincorporated portions of the county generally got shortchanged.

Who is served?

Each of those city residents and commuters requires police protection, water and sewer services and other amenities provided by the city.

Consolidation iceberg ahead?

One method to save everybody money would be elimination of service duplications. Each city and the county have departments doing the same thing - vehicle maintenance, payroll, purchasing, SWAT teams, marine patrols, bomb squads and other tasks.

"This report is only the tip of the iceberg," Staub said. "There are, in each area, overlaps. How do we look at the big pictures, but also look at collaborating on services like purchasing or technology?"

Bartolotta noted the cities have been interested in "municipal service taxing units" - MSTUs - to relieve the cities of paying for services they never receive. "We have two SWAT teams, two bomb squads, two of everything, yet we do not get the benefits of the Sarasota Sheriff's Office, except for the jail. The road patrol, the marine patrol, our citizens are paying twice for these services."

Staub suggested, before discussing MSTUs to force the sheriff's financial burden exclusively on the unincorporated area of the county, that the police chiefs and sheriff should sit down and work out a plan to avoid duplication. One document on the agenda looked at a sheriff's MSTU, and determined the owner of a $300,000 home in the county would pay an extra $100 per year.

Ley suggested a variety of possibilities existed to consolidate services, including janitorial, communications, human resources, printing, utilities billing, expansion of the county's call center, and other communications.

County Commissioner Jon Thaxton attempted to rise above the simmering acrimony about who-pays and who-gets. "I would look at this as a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to evaluate the consolidation of services. We have genuine and severe economic pressures. Let's set aside our parochial differences, join forces and look at areas where we can save money by working together."

North Port's City Council Chairman Fred Tower III echoed Thaxton. "There are so many mechanical aspects of government the citizens never see," he said. "Purchasing is one area that happens behind a curtain. Nobody sees it, but everybody would benefit."

In the end, the combined representatives of the city and county agreed to form committees to look at consolidation of some services. Police chiefs and the sheriff are to look at some consolidation of services, although Staub noted "a majority of the board of county commissioners is not in favor of the MSTU concept."

Click here for the full story.

Ok boys here we go lets just go Metro Sarasota and do away with all city police departments. considate to become Sarasota Sheriff's Office just as Jacksonville has done. I would say Miami Dade but we dont not need a police appointed director at the mercy of Jim Ley or anyother comissioner. Jim Ley I wonder if you are refering to ALL cities not just Sarasota. You seem to forget North Port and Venice down there.

i would love a merge i hate paying into my retirement :evil: i would love frs and the benefits of being able to work the entire county not just my city limits.

If the sso had an ad valorum tax like the fire dept does we would not be in the state that we are now. The fire dept has not cut any jobs, they will continue to get their raises and I'm sure continue to buy new equipment. But because of the county commissoners that need to show whose in charge, they have denied the sso in getting their own tax. Monge tried a couple times and I think Balkwill has tried once, not to sure, but I think it would make thing so much easier. We would not have the commish having to dip into or funds in order for scat to run in the evening hours>>>>>

[Retired n Luvin it]

Consolidation might be cheaper, but with a price..

When your patrol car breaks down and needs to be repaired.. it would go to a county garage~~ You would not receive a priority because you are L.E.~~ there maybe a plumbing truck from Facilities Maintenace , or a dump truck from Road and bridge ahead of you..

I don't know about you... but do you really want a guy who works on backhoes and trucks hammering on your patrol car.. The vehicle that takes you into the night at 100+ mph??

Not me bud.. and if you think you have a tough time ordering equipt now through quartermaster.. good luck when the county takes over..

Sometimes MS. Staub~` Smaller is better and more efficient.. Yes there may be some duplication in service.. but often there is a reason.

Sure SPD, Venice< and LBK could contract for patrol coverage from the SO.. Some of the Islands in Pinellas and Hillsborough contract with their Sheriff's offices for patrol coverage. And yes. for as seldom as the swat teams are called out.. SPD, Venice, NPPD could contract with the SSO and pay as you go for the service.. But what do you think the response time would be from the D1 area to Biscayne BVD in North port..?? I know it took us an hour to get there.. but look at how much you saved

I think one of the reasons the county is scared to do MSTUs is because it would result in a tax increase for the majority of taxpayers who live in unincorperated sarasota county. The fire dept. is diferent because not everyone is taxed on that, just the jurisdictions the Sarasota County fire dept serves, which I think is just the city of Sarasota and unincorperated.

I think one of the reasons the county is scared to do MSTUs is because it would result in a tax increase for the majority of taxpayers who live in unincorperated sarasota county.

That is correct. If the commissioners vote for MSTUs to support the SSO, then it will result in an increased average of $100 for every citizen in the unincorporated county -- soooooo the commissioners would basically be voting themselves out of office -- and no self-respecting politician would EVER do that, even if it's in the best interest of the citizenry. For that reason, MSTUs will never support the SSO.

That article says that the city of Sarasota gats 15mil more in services then it pays for and our commissioners want to increase the tax on the unicorporated area? I think Bart-toiletta needs to mind his Ps and Qs

A lot of money "changes hands" in the City of Sarasota. It's time to disband the City of Sarasota. Even the TIF in downtown Sarasota wasn't allowed to happen without county approval. And if the County of Sarasota had not approved it 15 years ago, then the City of Sarasota would be a cesspool today. Thanks to the County of Sarasota, downtown Sarasota has some life breathed back into it, but it's all thanks to the county's approval of the TIF.

We do not need to continue to sustain the City of Sarasota with city taxes while concurrently draining the unincorporated areas of Sarasota. Why should the unincorporated areas of Sarasota continue to keep the City of Sarasota afloat? Get rid of the city limit. :roll: