Sarasota County is considering increasing taxes to pay for its transformed stormwater department. The county also hired a new director — all in the hopes of addressing residents' concerns about flooding from hurricanes.
Stormwater non-ad valorem assessments have already risen for many Sarasota County property owners in recent years, in some cases doubling or even tripling since 2021, and more increases are in store for next year.
The stormwater division within the Sarasota County public works department takes in about $27 million in revenue and reported $18 million in reserves from 2024.
“Before I would even want to go any deeper into increasing fees, I would like almost like an audit review of where our stormwater funds are being spent,” said Commissioner Joe Neunder at a budget workshop on July 2.
The county administrator, Jonathan Lewis, said that it can be done, though it would not be called an audit but rather an operational analysis.
ALSO READ: A permit was denied for dredging Phillippi Creek. But did Sarasota even need one?
Commissioners then voted unanimously to allow room for a possible increase in property tax assessments.
“Just to really reiterate to our citizens, we are not — this is not a done deal. It's not anything that is a raising of taxes. It allows us the opportunity to provide the best services possible for them, said Commissioner Teresa Mast.
A final decision on the budget comes in September.
Raising stormwater assessments is not a popular idea among residents who have been trying to secure dredging of Phillippi Creek, a project the county recently announced will not go forward this season due to the need for a federal permit.
For a home of about 2,500 square feet, “it looks like everybody's (stormwater) bill would go up 60%, which is absurd, especially since there are no metrics or anything attached to it,” said Seth Johnson, a resident in the South Gate neighborhood.
“I think the best thing they can do is to table that discussion, especially now that there's an $18 million surplus that they're saying exists, and they have $45 to $60 million coming from a federal HUD (Housing and Urban Development) grant for this,” Johnson said.
Ben Quartermaine was named stormwater director, according to a release. The job posting included a salary up to $180,000 per year. In addition to this, the county is in talks with an independent water engineer about helping to reset the stormwater department amid allegations of neglect and failure to keep up with regular maintenance.
"Quartermaine previously worked for Sarasota County in stormwater operations. He was born and raised in Sarasota," a county statement said. "He has nearly 30 years of experience in civil design and stormwater infrastructure throughout Florida and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida."
Referring to the anguish in the community among residents who fear a repeat of the devastating floods in three hurricanes in 2024, Commissioner Mark Smith said last week that the bar for any candidate was high.
"This may be the most highly anticipated savior since Jesus Christ, and with a bit of Moses in there, in that we don't need you to part the water, you need to part the sand,” Smith said.
Kristy Molyneaux, whose home near Phillippi Creek flooded three times last year, urged the county to hire Stephen Suau, a hydrologist and consultant who helped create the Sarasota County stormwater division decades ago.
"He says exactly what needs to be said and what needs to be done and I think we need somebody to restore public trust," Molyneaux said.
Suau told WUSF he did not apply for the job of stormwater director, but is in talks with the county to take on a temporary role, and described his contact last week with Lewis as a “short but positive initial discussion,” with a follow-up planned this week.
Suau’s independent investigation of the flooding in Laurel Meadows showed that a breach in a dike was to blame, and the county subsequently admitted it had not checked that area in years.
Earlier this year, Suau issued a series of recommendations for the county to pursue. Only some have been fulfilled so far by public works.
