Charlotte County weighs road funding if sales tax fails

Charlotte County officials are identifying ways to keep road projects moving if voters reject a 20-year extension of the county’s 1% local option sales tax Nov. 3. 

At an Oct. 20 transportation update, Fiscal Services Manager Rick Arthur said the county has just under $28 million remaining from its 2020 sales tax program and another $21 million budgeted for projects that have not been committed. Some of that money could be redirected to ongoing road work if the extension fails, providing a temporary funding bridge. 

The county has relied on the one-cent sales tax to help pay for infrastructure projects since 1994. The latest extension, approved in 2020, expires at the end of 2026. 

“In two weeks, it’s going to be a clarifying moment,” Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said. Once the results are known, he added, “it’s going to be a lot easier as we navigate these things.” 

The county is planning road widenings, turn lanes and other improvements to accommodate population growth. The sales tax vote adds uncertainty to those plans as local governments across Florida also consider the possible effects of Amendment 3, a statewide property tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. 

If approved by at least 60% of voters, Amendment 3 would increase the homestead exemption for nonschool property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. That could reduce a source of revenue counties use to help fund capital projects. 

Public Works Director John Elias outlined transportation projects already underway and others expected to begin in the coming year. 

One of the county’s largest transportation projects is the widening of Harborview Road in two phases. 

Phase 1, from Melbourne Street to Date Street, carries a $91.58 million price tag, including $8.15 million in utility improvements dependent on the proposed sales tax extension. 

Phase 2, from Date Street to Interstate 75, is budgeted at $60.6 million, all of which depends on the extension. That includes $52.45 million for roadway improvements and $8.15 million for utilities. 

Another major undertaking is the Edgewater Drive-Flamingo Boulevard corridor, divided into phases 3, 4 and 5. Funding has been secured for the first two phases, but Phase 5, between Samantha Avenue and State Road 776, depends on $51.04 million in proposed sales tax revenue. 

Phase 3 runs from Midway Boulevard to Collingswood Boulevard, while Phase 4 extends from Collingswood to Samantha Avenue. Improvements include a peanut-shaped roundabout and a bridge over the Christopher Waterway. Construction is scheduled for 2027, with the option to build all three phases at once or in stages, Elias said. 

Other projects are expected to move forward with state and federal funding, including money from the Florida Department of Transportation. 

Additional plans call for turn lanes, traffic signals and pedestrian improvements on Veterans Boulevard, Atwater Street, Peachland Boulevard, Harbor Boulevard, Gasparilla Road, Sandhill Boulevard and Kings Highway, among other roads. The work also includes improvements around Murdock Circle, along Paulson Drive and at the intersections of Enterprise Drive and State Road 776 and Elkcam Boulevard and Midway Boulevard. A turn lane serving Charlotte Sports Park is planned, as well.