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Please consider making a monetary contribution to defray costs with our deannexation efforts. Make the check payable to “West Villagers for Responsible Government“. In the note area of the check please put “WV4RG Contribution” and send it to our mail address:
WV4RG – 12161 Mercado Dr, Unit 102, Venice, FL 34293.
Thank you!
CONTACT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Suggested Letter to City of North Port Commissioners (Fall 2020)
TO: commissioners@cityofnorthport.com
Dear Commissioners:
I am a resident of xxx(community) in West Villages Improvement District, and continue to be dismayed by the misrepresentation of WVID interests by the North Port City Commission.
Recently both Commissioner Luke and Commissioner Hanks mistakenly stated that North Port has large sums of money at stake in West Villages. Luke said on her Facebook page that North Port owns $200 million in assets in North Port. Hanks stated in a recent radio interview that North Port taxes had to be raised for fiscal year 2020 because of the costs to provide services to the growing number of WVID residents. Both commissioners are either badly misinformed about the financials of their WVID constituents’ district and/or prefer to misrepresent the facts to everyone.
Actually, almost $160 million in CDD bonds financed by WVID homeowners, along with some impact fees collected from WVID, pay for the public roads, landscaping, waste water treatment, water and sewer infrastructure, drainage works, and some community buildings in WVID. North Port’s books do not show any capital investments for WVID infrastructure, but do list $52 million in WVID assets identified as “donations,” which were funded by WVID.
Most recently, an analysis requested by North Port’s acting city manager disclosed that a North Port resident whose home has a taxable value of $200,000 will pay approximately 26 percent more in taxes and fees than the owner of a home with the same taxable value in unincorporated Sarasota County. To date, no one has identified any tangible benefits WVID residents receive for our additional payments.
Unnecessary fees are a concern, but our real issue is that North Port cannot stay financially viable because it is not platted to have the commercial/industrial tax base necessary for long term funding of the services residents need. Sarasota County and the cities of Sarasota and Venice do have the commercial/industrial tax base necessary to provide services at a reasonable cost for their residents now and into the future. North Port seems to be sticking its head in the sand, and supporting financially irresponsible ventures like the Aquatic Center, upgrades to parks and recreation facilities, as well as generous raises and benefits for city employees.
Please demonstrate that you do listen to ALL of your constituents, even those of us “single lot owners” in WVID whom Commissioner Luke has dismissed because she believes the developer is the “owner of the district.” Start making financially responsible decisions and stop misrepresenting the facts to everyone.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
WEST VILLAGERS FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT 