Written by LA-MSID Staff
The Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District board of commissioners adopted its fiscal year 2016-17 budget, which maintains its non-ad valorem assessments rates for the eighth consecutive year.
A non-ad valorem assessment rate is based on the size of one’s property, while an ad valorem assessment rate is based on the value of one’s property.
Property owners in LA-MSID’s boundaries pay $26.28 per quarter acre, $52.58 per half acre or $105.15 per acre a year
The LA-MSID is made up of 62,566 acres. Approximately 60,000 are in Lee County, with the remaining acres in Hendry County. Only 47,762 of the acres are taxable.
“LA-MSID is dedicated to the maintenance and management of our waterways and ensuring the integrity of these resources in the future,” Commissioner Ken Thompson said.
The district’s 311 miles of canals play a crucial role in draining land after heavy rainfalls, as well as in water conservation. Without the canals Lehigh would be uninhabitable, added District Manager David Lindsay.
Assessment rates are collected once a year and that money goes towards the district’s maintenance and capital projects, like culvert and weir replacements.
During the discussion agenda, the board talked about two agreements – one with Florida Department of Transportation for storm water drainage on the state Road 82 widening project for segments 3 and 4, and the second with Lee County.
The LA-MSID and FDOT previously signed an agreement on segments 1 and 2 of the project. Funding was secured from the FDOT, with it being allowed to discharge into the district’s storm water system and receive fill dirt for road beds in the project.
The details of an agreement for segments 3 and 4 of the project will come back before the board for action at a future date.
Also at the Aug. 15 meeting, Alise Flanjack, deputy director for Lee County Parks and Recreation, presented a possible interlocal agreement for Greenway Park.
It would allow Lee County to use the district’s rights-of-way to construct the Able Canal Greenway project. The conceptual design would have the project start at the Trailhead Park off of Joel Boulevard, continue to the Lehigh Community Park and then west toward Harns Marsh.
Flanjack noted that activities would include hiking, biking, walking and running. Aesthetically, it would be comparable to the John Yarbrough Linear Park in Fort Myers.