Naples Florida Weekly
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No time to take the easy way out

GUEST COMMENTARY


It’s easy to say “no” to any new tax — for example, Collier County’s local-option one-cent infrastructure sales tax on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. But, as hard as it is to vote for a new tax, in this case it’s harder to live with the consequences of a no vote.

For me, it’s easier to say “yes” to what the proposed seven-year tax would address. My “yes” is a “no way” vote against:

¦ Putting the entire burden on property taxpayers rather than requiring visitors, tourists and the 20,000 out-of-county commuters with jobs here to pay approximately 30 percent of the costs;

¦ Postponing long-planned and desperately needed new bridges, roads and improved intersections to alleviate eastwest rush-hour gridlock and dangerously long response times for emergency responders;

¦ Delaying the long-awaited Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park in northeastern Collier County;

¦ Depriving the county’s three cities of roughly $70 million over the next seven years for their backlog of infrastructure projects forcing city property owners to pay higher property taxes or do without needed capital improvements;

¦ Incarcerating the mentally ill and substance abusers in the county jail for lack of an adequate treatment facility;

¦ Refusing to take sensible, multifaceted steps to encourage construction of affordable housing for teachers, nurses, young professionals, law enforcement officers and for needy seniors and disabled citizens;

¦ Turning down a new training center when employers are leaving the county or creating good jobs elsewhere because they can’t hire enough skilled workers here; and

¦ Playing expedient politics with the community’s future by stymieing initiatives to diversify our local economy and create high-paying jobs.

Something has to give. We can’t vote against the sales tax and still expect the $490 million in improvements unless we are prepared to pay increased property taxes, or delete or postpone capital projects on the sales tax list, all of which are labeled “needs not wants” by county staff.

If the sales tax fails, county commissioners say they will sell bonds to raise the same amount of money the sales tax would have brought in. The debt would be paid off using property taxes, as would an estimated $100 million to $200 million in interest.

Worst case: If the sales tax loses, commissioners will say the voters have spoken and be leery of addressing some community needs for years to come. This is the “poison the well” phenomenon.

Specifically, politics being what they are, without the temporary sales tax, I would guess that at the end of the day the sheriff won’t get the money he seeks for a treatment facility for mentally ill and substance abusing inmates. There will be no funding for a county land trust to provide a land incentive to developers willing to build affordable housing. Nor will the county build a third training center to train our youth and adults for 21st century job opportunities.

It is my belief that a no vote on the sales tax could very well be a yes vote for traffic gridlock, unsafe police and fire response times, jailing the mentally ill, no funding for affordable housing, no direct contribution from visitors and tourists and other non-residents for infrastructure.

Last year, the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce — after years of study, consultants and collaboration with political, business, nonprofit and community leaders countywide — asked county commissioners to consider a sales tax referendum. Why? Economic diversity. Affordable housing and critical skills training. The two most important needs to create good jobs here. Crucial hurricanehardening projects. Reduced pressure on property taxes. Of the state’s 67 counties, 61 already have a local-option sales tax.

To make sure taxpayers get what the sales tax promises, Chamber leaders included caveats with their sales tax recommendation:

1) A pre-vote independent audit to test whether the money — $420 million for the county — really is needed, the proposed projects make sense and the price is right.

2) A seven-year sunset clause stipulating the tax must end on Dec. 31, 2025, or sooner if the $490 million is collected before that date.

3) A citizen oversight board to make sure the money goes where specified in the ballot language.

4) A county website (www.Collier OneCentTax.com) detailing specifics of the plan before the vote.

5) All projects listed must be needs and not wants.

6) The plan must address three critical community issues — workforce housing, technical training and mental health. Commissioners added a fourth — $30 million for a proposed VA Nursing Home.

The commission’s majority supported these requests. Several commissioners pointed out that the Great Recession forced them to cut the county budget from $1.3 billion in fiscal 2008 to $865 million by 2011; many county jobs were eliminated. This year’s budget is $1.16 billion, still well short of 2008.

Recently a county needs assessment — conducted by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Collier County — confirmed all of the needs addressed by the sales tax.

Yes, some say a no vote on the so-called penny tax is easy, but that would be selfdefeating, and foolish. Vote YES to say no to additional property taxes or debt. ¦

— Alan M. Horton, 75, the retired head of The E. W. Scripps Company’s Newspaper Division, is a former prize- winning investigative reporter, Washington correspondent, editor and publisher. During his tenure as editor of the Naples Daily News from 1987 through 1991, the paper was named one of the top ten small newspapers in the country. He resides in Naples.

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