Charlotte County officials presented updates during a Nov. 26 commissioners meeting to various projects made possible by the 1% local options sales tax extension approved by voters in November 2020, including a proposed $11.7 million South County Annex building.
Facilities Director Travis Perdue said the current South County Annex building is “past it’s point of life.” Commissioner Chris Constance suggested inviting the city of Punta Gorda to partner on the building due to its need for a new City Hall.
Constance suggested that instead of building a new annex building for the county, it should replace the current 30,000-square-foot facility, with the county and city sharing the cost to create a government building to house both entities.
“We’d be better stewards and better partners to at least reach out to them,” Constance said, referring to Punta Gorda city officials.
Commissioners also prioritized moving the annex project up to Tier 1 from its current Tier 2 status.
Numerous Port Charlotte residents spoke during the public portion, asking commissioners to expedite rebuilding the Port Charlotte Beach Complex and its pool.
Dan Sabo said the park is keeping older people alive and that now, “aging citizens are not getting life-saving exercise.”
Meanwhile, members of the local Charlotte Harbor Dragons paddling club said they used the park’s now-closed boat ramp for their various meets.
But reopening the beach park and pool will take time.
Perdue said the complex is being funded by the 2020 1% tax extension and originally budgeted for $11 million, but now the cost is estimated at $25 million.
Design of the complex, which has since doubled to 20,000 square feet, is expected to be completed in summer 2025, with construction slated for fall 2026.
Newly appointed Commissioner Chair Joe Tiseo questioned the increase, and Commissioner Bill Truex noted that the park gets up to 1.7 million visitors annually.
“The pool is further behind,” Perdue said.
The project was moved from Tier 2 status to Tier 1, and it was budgeted for $4.5 million.
The entire beach park is closed to the public as construction debris and boats damaged from Hurricane Milton are being brought there.
Gordon Burger, director of Budget and Administrative Services, said the county has seen more sales tax revenues than was previously anticipated due to the recent hurricanes that caused substantial damage to buildings.
He said in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, “basically, everybody in the county was buying plywood and shingles October through May of 2022.”
Compounded with that was inflation that drove prices higher and increased the tax amount on those purchases, Burger explained.
From January 2021 to June 2024, the county collected $141,400,705, he said.
Projected for July 2024 to December 2026 is an anticipated $97,447,516 for total projected revenue of $238,848,221.
Among the projects the revenue will fund is the Charlotte County Sheriff Office’s Administration Center/911 with an estimated cost of $45 million and completion in the spring of 2026, the Supervisor of Elections’ $8.2 million 20,000-square-foot storage space to be shared by the building’s occupants and the $7 million Placida Boat Ramp expansion slated for the fall of 2026.
Already completed is the Family Services Center Phase II. The 18,500-square-foot building had a price tag of $10.9 million.
Other projects that will be funded by the sales tax are CCSO’s District 4 and Training facility budgeted for $14.6 million, fire stations 3, 6 and 17, GC Herring and William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Park and the addition of sidewalks throughout the county, plus septic to sewer projects and lift stations.
Voters will once again vote on the 1% local option sales tax in November 2026.
