Venice City Council to review project priority list before voters decide to extend sales tax

VENICE – The Venice City Council will discuss the ranking of potential capital projects that would get money if Sarasota County voters agree this fall to renew an optional local sales tax.

The current surtax, which funds capital improvements for Sarasota County, municipalities and the school district, expires Dec. 31, 2024.

Voters will be asked to extend it a fourth time, for another 15 years, in a referendum on the November 2022 ballot. 

Related: Discussion on 2022 Surtax referendum begins in North Port

Earlier: Sarasota County seeks public input on penny surtax

And: Venice to prioritize programs for stormwater quality improvement

In Venice, money from the extra tax has helped pay for everything from the new fire station on the Venice City Hall campus to beach renourishment.

Should voters countywide approve another 15-year extension, Sarasota County revenue projections estimate that it would generate about $84.6 million between the 2025 and 2039 fiscal years that could be used for capital projects in Venice.

Council members will review potential projects when it meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Venice City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave.

The meeting can be viewed online through Granicus at https://www.venicegov.com or via Zoom, where the meeting ID is 822 0138 1196.

The largest chunk of the surtax involves water quality, flood protection and resiliency projects, with about $25.6 million earmarked.

The city is gathering data through studies to determine where money can be best spent to improve water quality from the city’s 28 stormwater drainage outfalls on the island of Venice – including 10 that funnel stormwater into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Also included in that sum is as much as $10 million for the redevelopment of the Seaboard Area.

After that as much as $19.8 million would be targeted for transportation projects.

Of the $11.2 million set for for public safety, as much as $7 million would pay for moving Fire Station 2 from off of North Grove Street to a site more central for off-island response.

Those funds are anticipated to be used in the first five years of the program

The priority list is viewed as fluid, with the potential for other needs to arise. The one constant tends to be money set aside for beach renourishment. The city anticipates at least $4.5 million for beach renourishment through the 15-year life of the extended surtax as part of the engineering department budget.

Public works has another $8.5 million earmarked for parks and recreation, beach access upgrades and major maintenance, including $4.5 million for contingencies.

The council is scheduled to adopt a resolution detailing the priority list at its Feb. 8 meeting.

Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.