About a dozen people affected by last year's floods spoke out against the prospect of raising taxes on homeowners to pay for stormwater maintenance, during a Sarasota County commission meeting on Friday.
They said the county had not shown it really needed the extra money.
"Where are the much-needed solutions? I cannot see how anyone could read the stormwater program audit and ask for an increase in assessments," said Kristy Molyneaux, whose home on Phillippi Creek flooded three times last year.
After a presentation by consultant Steve Suau, whose audit found there is plenty of money to spare within the department's $27 million budget, commissioners unanimously voted down a bid to increase the stormwater tax.
"Frankly, I'm going to have a hard time raising the fees this year, because the optics here are bad. You know, the testimony we've heard here is compelling," said Commissioner Ron Cutsinger.
The county already raised rates for stormwater three years ago.
Many homeowners have seen the amount they pay rise every year since, and in some cases, that's double or more what they paid in 2021.
"When the stormwater ordinance was amended and the assessments increased in 2022, that generated between $10 and $15 million more in annual revenue," said Suau, who described the idea to raise rates as "reactionary" rather than necessary.
The county collects ad valorem assessments from homeowners each year to clear waterways, ditches and canals. And it has tens of millions of dollars in federal hurricane relief to pay for urgent projects after Debby, Helene and Milton struck in 2024.
Suau found the county has about $70 million that it could move from less important projects over the next five years.
"It's so important that all of these projects be evaluated to be able to quantify, what are they doing? What is the benefit? Before you spend the money," Suau said.
County administrator Jonathan Lewis had recommended the commission adopt a rate increase that would have included a jump in the base rate, plus a hike in the impervious fee per 500 square feet.
The structure of the assessments can make an individual homeowner’s cost balloon, according to the square footage of their property and hard surfaces, like driveways.
According to the county’s presentation, homeowners with an average-sized house of 2,700 square feet who currently pay $112 annually for stormwater would have seen that assessment rise to $143.
Suau spoke highly of the new stormwater director, Ben Quartermaine, who took the job last month, as the county took steps to remove the stormwater department from a division within public works, and make it its own department.
Quartermaine addressed the commission about how he is tackling maintenance priorities, and highlighted his connection to the community, as a 1990 graduate of Riverview High School.
"The storm season really devastated me," Quartermaine said, pausing to collect himself as he spoke of the 2024 storms.
"I had a lot of friends and a lot of family that were impacted by the events," Quartermaine said. "I view this as a calling to my community."
Commissioner Tom Knight was among those who told Quartermaine to come back and let the commission know if he really needed more cash next year to do what was needed.
Knight also thanked the residents who have been meeting regularly with county officials to reach a solution to dredging Phillippi Creek.
"I think we forget about our community that has really pushed this and thank them for being here with us the whole time and that we hear you," Knight said.
One of those community members, Nadia Bowen, spoke after the vote.
"It feels like we're functioning, we're starting to function, and we're on the right path forward," she said.
