Charlotte County officially opened its new District 4 Sheriff’s Office on June 3, completing the $14.6 million facility 14 months after breaking ground. The 20,286-square-foot building at 3100 Loveland Blvd. in Port Charlotte was funded through the county’s voter-approved 2020 1% local option sales tax.
The 20,286-square-foot building accommodates four conference rooms for training, road patrol and detective offices, K9 support space and kennel operations.
Four county commissioners attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with other officials and CCSO personnel, including Sgt. Stephen Burke and his K9 partner Mila.
Wharton-Smith Inc. led construction on the project. The company’s area manager, Caryn Huff, noted at last year’s groundbreaking that their construction contract accounted for just more than $13.1 million of the total $14.6 million budget. The project was overseen by project manager Gary Burdahl, with Barbara Cushing of Schenkel and Shultz Inc.
Due to extensive growth in the county, CCSO officials said the agency outgrew its former facility at 7474 Utilities Road in Punta Gorda.
Also last year, construction began on the CCSO administration and 911 call center and Supervisor of Election’s warehouse on the same land at 3100 Loveland Blvd.
The $45 million CCSO administration facility will house senior command and support staff, a command vehicle garage and a public safety answering point. The $8.8 million elections supervisor warehouse will have a staging and receiving area, an elevated receiving dock with levelers and a discharge ramp and a smaller truck and loading vehicle ground delivery area. The facility will have office and storage space for multiple county departments and CCSO use.
Both projects also are funded by the 2020 1% local option sales tax, and completion is slated for February 2026.
With voter approval, Florida counties can increase the statewide 6% sales tax up to 7% to be used for a wide range of capital infrastructure needs. Charlotte County has had six 1% local option sales tax programs, starting in 1994, with the latest approved in 2020.
Beyond public safety, the 2020 local option sales tax is funding additional community infrastructure. This includes the $7 million expansion of the Placida Boat Ramp, projected for completion in fall 2026, and phase two of the Family Services Center — a new 18,500-square-foot building with a $10.9 million budget.
The sales tax also supports parks, sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian trails, fire station equipment, and other public safety enhancements. City of Punta Gorda receives about 10% of sales tax revenue based on population and is using its share for public safety improvements, accessibility upgrades, sidewalk and crosswalk projects, a new traffic signal at Burnt Store Road, a Bayfront Center project and historic preservation efforts.
Charlotte County is currently seeking volunteers to serve on its 1% Local Option Sales Tax Focus Group. The group will help evaluate and prioritize projects to be funded if voters approve another extension of the tax in November 2026.
