STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
The Bay side of Longboat Key is home to miles of private canals many of which need dredging. But how to pay for the millions of dollars it will likely cost and which residents should pay and how should they be taxed or assessed divided the Town Commission last Fall as the board attempts to move forward with a dredging program.
Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier led the push to create an ad valorem taxing district at last week’s meeting. He said that the town must vote to approve a district on a second reading last week if it wishes to start dredging the canals as early as next year. He further argued that creating the taxing district is the first step toward funding the project, but what portion canal front residences will pay versus non-canal front residences will all be discussed in future public hearings. Not everyone agreed with the Mayor’s initiative.
“I can tell you, my neighborhood has been vocal in stopping me on the street,” said Commissioner BJ Bishop. Bishop continued, “They thought the cost to non-canal front owners is not appropriate. In my neighborhood 80 percent of the homes were destroyed by hurricanes. They are tired, frustrated by FEMA and what I hear repeatedly is it is the wrong time to put the program on the agenda and moving forward.”
Mayor Schneier shot back, “Our job is not to be so tired that we can make the right decision. If the citizens are too tired to think about it, we can still make the right decision.”
Bishop replied, “I make the right decisions for the citizens I represent and not the seven of us.”
Commissioner Penny Gold sounded as if she agreed with Bishop, “There are a lot of bills coming at all of us, people are having a difficult time processing this. We should have the discussion of who should pay and how much all together. It is too risky not to discuss as a package.”
Gold was referring to the idea promulgated by the Mayor and Staff to approve the taxing district and the town’s authority to tax and then later attempt to calculate what different property owners should pay proportionally.
Dredging up philosophy
The nexus of the issue is not whether to dredge or not – convincing empirical data and surveying makes clear that numerous canals have grown filled with sediment. The true debate is over fairness. When it comes to the beach renourishment program, Longboaters have long gone along with and voted to support the two district system in which Gulf side properties pay 80 percent and Bay side pay 20 percent of the renourishment costs.
But the calculation and the benefit island-wide of the canals is far more nebulous and debatable. It is argued the beach provides property protection for the entire key from catastrophic storms. Canals do not serve any similar purpose. Canal front owners get to keep a vessel dangling above the water that adds significantly to their property value. These factors make many on the Gulf side say “Why should we pay for any of the canal dredging?”
The countervailing argument is that canals are a navigatible amenity that all Longboaters can access and enjoy and add an overall value to the entire island. Public Works will also tell you that most of the island’s storm water is funneled into the canal system.
Mother May I?
For Vice Mayor Mike Haycock, the only issue is the timing and the cost of delay.
“We have to do it today (vote to approve the tax district) or it’s going to be delayed. I do not believe we should wait another year. We need to take the next step and approve the opportunity to have residents taxed in 2026,” said Haycock.
Haycock was referring to the fact that if the commission approved the tax district, the property owners will receive the ad valorem taxation amount in next year’s tax roll.
Voting for approval of the tax district does not guarantee or put any emphasis on how much the different classes of property owners will pay, but simply allow the commission to work out what it believes is a fair and equitable amount in the coming months.
But for resident Tim McDonald, who’s the Vice President of Arbomar Condominium Association, it’s something not to fast track. The town did admit it has been working on the issue for the last 26 years.
“At the first meeting when this was discussed and voted on, all of the residents were concerned with hurricanes. In fairness of process, we simply need more time, I urge you to postpone a vote on this despite all the restrictions and limitations it might impose. If this goes 100 percent ad valorem, I believe there is a recall coming,” said McDonald.
Another resident simply said she objects to how the commission was handling the situation in voting in the wake of two hurricanes with displaced residents and before season on such a major financial obligation.
After her comments, Vice Mayor Haycock made a motion to approve the ad valorem tax methodology to pay for canal dredging on Longboat Key. Commissioners Bishop and Debra Williams voted ‘No’ and Commissioners Gold, Sarah Karon, Gary Coffin and Mayor Schneier voted ‘Yes,’ successfully passing the measure.
