[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6192438,"mediaKeyId","4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa","parentId",4100768,"title","Supervisor of elections explains voting equipment rules: Florida uses paper ballots; Collier limited to two certified vendors","audioSeconds",358,"startMs",3572000,"endMs",3930000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa&start=3572&end=3930","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa/thumbnail_3572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6192438/Collier-County/Florida/Supervisor-of-elections-explains-voting-equipment-rules-Florida-uses-paper-ballots-Collier-limited-to-two-certified-vendors","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192438-db7803b5a25bbffd6e79f88360e76cbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773718653&Signature=XeMe1zU0kFgi-NaaFwEqulJ2AaG5xClsHdjA6dRMXNMCix7pmgZMnwCmrKdUUp8cQg2KknRv2o35O14gLEZbVAoSEYOiaQvP-4LftzZGn9auHg9EyEW8ycnPzgHa7COL6YbQqMrjL2yBcX-4yyZo9zeYAZPDtic-Y7euaPyIAYsVrx0lIEWfHnpFGl1s7IOaEF97j0CJ1oHTXg8k3UWmBe3~NzwVgdohUnU5exG6Qa9BAL1m-kUTaxI7T0AtnFqkybut2UzgJxFPrJjQFfJs43bBdRrlYcAkEEIEuPuciUFzkZd8B189R2i93K789cGgCUs8TLOhxVF-EE3qY2CjeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Collier County","date","2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","article","Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blasier briefed the board on June 19 to clarify how local voting equipment purchases are governed by federal and state certification rules.

Blasier said federal certification is handled by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and Florida adds a state certification layer through the Department of State’s Bureau of Voting System Certification. “At the state level, our state department actually certifies voting systems,” she said, and that process restricts Florida counties to currently certified vendors.

Blasier explained that Collier County uses ES&S (Election Systems & Software) and has done so since 2002 when the county replaced punch‑card systems. She emphasized that Florida voters cast paper ballots statewide: “We are 100% paper, not just in Collier County, but the entire state of Florida.” Blasier also noted the county’s optical scanners (DS200s) were about 17 years old and are in the process of replacement as part of normal equipment lifecycle management.

She urged residents with questions or concerns to visit the elections office for transparency tours and to see the equipment and audit processes firsthand.

Ending: Blasier said equipment choices are limited and driven by certification requirements; changing vendors would be costly and is not something the county does lightly.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioners - FY2026 Budget Workshop (6-19-2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blasier told commissioners that voting‑system procurement in Florida is constrained by federal and state certification. Collier uses ES&S; the state requires paper ballots and maintains a vendor certification process that currently limits counties to two certified providers.","taxTitle","Collier County, Florida","taxId",12758,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192442,"Sheriff Rambosk seeks funding to implement Evergreen recommendations; highlights lifesaving responses and rising contract costs",1351,1719000,3070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa&start=1719&end=3070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa/thumbnail_1719000.jpg","/articles/6192442/Collier-County/Florida/Sheriff-Rambosk-seeks-funding-to-implement-Evergreen-recommendations-highlights-lifesaving-responses-and-rising-contract-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192442-ec127b32a1fa6a2388819b966c05fa0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773718653&Signature=OXTl70LHVhG5OmHHCKmM8Q02vgtX2C5zxDnJhotc~gWiq7YeongNojKplp1SgorfHNdsm0bnvQgtHeCqXof-gX0UVRyOadd4DVWshKx5wXoRd2Awh4ONTKhjlGK9J~70WED~9rqJln0JropttlbgCiJODWyzq~d1UJXqU345DvXLpxNzS3SKx4MHmpA-xDorFxzROrOTxWPUuMzG2mdNzDgYPkh~dD20mQqiJp8dFFcP0H99hM5WW~RXpt3iOVfabPNLXwuGegi7rWPRWKAEb0T3mR6maqsGo1TK8k55W-jhw1d1V3Ba1n0dOOa-uH6PwkCo41joJknMEMwx7q8-Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk reviewed the sheriff’s office FY26 budget submission during the June 19 budget workshop, described operational priorities and urged the board to consider resources needed to implement recommended pay and staffing changes.

Rambosk said the sheriff’s FY26 certification letter requested a $277,361,900 transfer (the figure corresponded to the general fund transfer component), and that total agency pages in the budget reflect additional funds and rolling program dollars. He said the request grew from efforts to implement recommendations from a recent Evergreen compensation study, to remain competitive in national law‑enforcement labor markets, and to cover rising contract costs and pension requirements.

Rambosk detailed operational highlights and metrics he said justify his request: just under 500,000 calls for service last year, a 22% year‑to‑date drop in crime at the time of the meeting, aviation support dropping roughly 136,000 gallons of water on small fires this wildfire season, and 76 lives saved by deputies using Narcan, AEDs and tactical medical training. He also described accreditation progress, regional leadership in training and exercises and legislation the sheriff’s office sponsored on illicit massage parlors and fentanyl exposure penalties.

Rambosk told the board the jail’s federal hold reimbursement increased under renegotiation from about $72 per day to $186 per day, which will materially improve reimbursement for federal holds. He said the sheriff’s office continues to push operational efficiencies such as civilian positions where appropriate and ongoing daily budget monitoring that he expects will yield over $2,000,000 in savings returned to the county from current year operations.

Ending: Commissioners praised the sheriff’s office for public safety work and said they would consider funding needs if unanticipated events arise during the coming fiscal year. Rambosk said the office will continue to pursue improvements in recruiting and resource alignment to preserve community safety.","Sheriff Kevin Rambosk outlined public safety accomplishments and asked for budget adjustments tied to an Evergreen compensation study and rising contract costs; he reported deputies saved 76 lives with Narcan and cited a new ICE daily reimbursement increase from $72 to $186 per detained inmate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192446,"County begins ResourceX phase 2: procurement, staffing and program efficiency reviews",1638,10226000,11864000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa&start=10226&end=11864","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa/thumbnail_10226000.jpg","/articles/6192446/Collier-County/Florida/County-begins-ResourceX-phase-2-procurement-staffing-and-program-efficiency-reviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192446-d2cf991367441b345f741db09067b3e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773718653&Signature=ixayPxcNVy~WBW-e8pJGYBxgM4x~F5UA~hYwAK~xAb31kPKVDGehdljbIr0jmH2RNOtFVKyAfTmkc8iNMVslhnFRoLDRL6niMtszvgCg7gycmvttsORz90jqZo24~XURkiVMI2jqCu~~mwel20ljfU8atWQjjxNvdzGxK7~PlzNJS~~Bl2j5wrdERI4YdK2MWSqn~iRKAOt96t6IyahNc8H0UgSX~hBcgGRbSgO5NbB7aM7bA4LpAfp8WbyzHmvIbf10TUsmqmE5xV6qBdqavvac5Xmzrgnzk6r9N7Pomri7T9gyRTTDefNL4PXSgoXJVlHRwjdVUBOjfUydD-sjAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","ResourceX consultant Chris Fabian told the commission on June 19 that phase two of the county’s priority‑based budgeting work is focused on diagnosing program efficiencies and identifying practical changes in procurement, staffing and service delivery.

Fabian described three steps in phase two: (1) a program costing benchmark analysis that compares Collier’s program costs to similar jurisdictions; (2) a program process inventory that maps the steps and time associated with delivering each program; and (3) stakeholder interviews with department directors and subject‑matter staff to identify friction points and quick wins.

Fabian and his team flagged procurement as an area ripe for near‑term improvement, noting duplicated approvals, aged threshold levels and time‑consuming review steps that can increase cost. He cited typical remedies used in other jurisdictions — recalibrated approval thresholds, template contracts, tiered sourcing, and single‑click procurement templates — and said the county should balance efficiency with controls. “These are the types of steps that we would be most interested in seeing where we can achieve inefficiency,” Fabian said while reviewing procurement process clocks and cost profiles.

Other areas under review include human resources (requisition to onboarding timelines), IT application spend and overlapping apps, and libraries/museums (space utilization and co‑location opportunities). Fabian said ResourceX will cross‑reference phase‑one program insights with phase‑two findings, and that the team expects to surface 90‑day actions and longer‑term recommendations for board consideration this summer and fall.

Ending: Fabian said staff will return with a draft of findings and strategic options in the coming months and will prioritize recommendations that preserve essential services while capturing operational savings and revenue offsets.","ResourceX staff briefed the commission on phase two of priority‑based budgeting: program cost benchmarking, process mapping and stakeholder interviews aimed at identifying procurement and operational efficiencies across county programs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192453,"Collier County presents FY26 recommended budget: $2.215 billion total, timeline set for millage and hearings",1086,230000,1316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa&start=230&end=1316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa/thumbnail_230000.jpg","/articles/6192453/Collier-County/Florida/Collier-County-presents-FY26-recommended-budget-2215-billion-total-timeline-set-for-millage-and-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192453-e2d583a5be34c748ce3f61685686e17a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773718653&Signature=VlxElwadtt3WDIUf1j3xhE-MfSF2RCulr8i2ygVg5wjeDBrbnfSb7zJtGnm33ndPuvFZo7PIyBD2dtCNlrx9V6QjNWF5e6HCIv2VDG3efkvtJ3KsOwS2Mmu1ASyreFDdNU7z-DZhZVYSuyqef1SnHROxcrWcNFAhU2mTi9ZVu5OBy4hzwFaR4ZDzEs62teyZKB5lq0ovUPZNMBp6KiSD83GaexJ85Ii5XAo-o~9Wb1XhNyHBQ3raOAmxwrTER9-kSESla5GDLoM7sDbfVbFvoLE6NktgtPEVWuTkoX0ecYdFAnbXTq5nHflom-7vFaupKbpqVgibnmG2jFZYbFVbBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Christopher Johnson, director of Corporate Financial and Management Services, presented Collier County’s recommended FY26 budget at the board’s June 19 budget workshop, detailing totals, policy assumptions and the schedule of statutory and public steps ahead.

The most immediate facts: the county’s FY26 net budget totals $2,215,000,000, an increase of $19,500,000 over FY25. The proposed FY26 general fund is $728,900,000 and the unincorporated area general fund is $91,300,000. The recommended package includes $19,500,000 in expanded service requests (12 full‑time equivalents and 12 vehicles among operating requests) and a capital program with $127,400,000 in general‑fund‑supported capital budgets.

Why this matters: Johnson said the package was prepared on a millage‑neutral basis for the general fund and the unincorporated general fund; he also warned the board that program adjustments or funding realignments could change that outcome. He stressed key investments in strategic priorities, including stormwater maintenance, hurricane and multi‑hazard preparedness, beach renourishment, cybersecurity, road projects and employee recruitment and retention.

Johnson walked the board through the statutory and public process schedule required for adoption. The timeline includes: adoption of proposed maximum millage rates on July 8; a July 15 tentative budget presentation with a change log; submission of millage and rollback rates to the property appraiser in early August; TRIM notices mailed on or before Aug. 24 by the property appraiser; a first public hearing on Sept. 4 at 5:05 p.m. to adopt the proposed millage rates and tentative budget; and a final public hearing scheduled for Sept. 18 at 5:05 p.m. He noted the county must submit its TRIM compliance package to the Florida Department of Revenue by Oct. 6.

Budget details Johnson highlighted include a 2.5% wage increase for all classifications, a 0.5% set aside for pay‑plan maintenance, an employee health care plan increase of 9% to preserve the health fund’s desired percentile, and general fund reserves at $79,600,000 (about 12.3% of general fund expenses). Capital highlights include a countywide capital budget of $776,900,000 with heavy allocations to Public Utilities and transportation.

Ending: Johnson closed the overview and invited department‑level questions for the workshop’s next sections. He cautioned that the county is working with preliminary taxable values and will receive final taxable values from the property appraiser on July 1, which could influence rollback calculations and millage‑setting.","Director Christopher Johnson gave commissioners an overview of the county’s FY26 recommended budget, a $2.215 billion plan that includes a millage‑neutral general fund proposal, expanded service requests of $19.5 million and a calendar of public hearings and TRIM compliance deadlines through October.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192458,"Collier County officials flag $300 million stormwater shortfall; options include utility, MSTU or commercial paper",303,6144000,6447000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa&start=6144&end=6447","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4100768-2c269ec16d984c723c25c4b0fbcd48aa/thumbnail_6144000.jpg","/articles/6192458/Collier-County/Florida/Collier-County-officials-flag-300-million-stormwater-shortfall-options-include-utility-MSTU-or-commercial-paper","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192458-c4954f2fca70993c7de82ad90199bc52/orig.mp4?Expires=1773718653&Signature=h1qeHTFmFbJv2RtbguTT0ijkYjjg4GBDYcu55wJs0rZGFcK9DwFWgoZlcwyQfoRml4fwEZFkZKhFMcx0sURqL5aullR83FN4xRmrkUFinfAzmmHyJkvIfvxgBYNpGkn1Mxvx6TzRn2gUV5D53Ig51lqg2v~zfWO24KjGxraCm-u67RnuxUqSgdVYw~pnBGriC2~HZBzx7j9ZnEkha~P6qSru6HmKHEwvVn2iHUiGGVeKyNSYoWH7X2eFxjnyYhc8V1~KgWJkRFNIlrzbr~avF0ngR42n0qBpNGVSZO8UzCPqp4MQ0hdFo54GKYQlDZ~cyjYokT6719SZG6btelgGWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Collier County officials told the Board of County Commissioners on June 19 that the county faces a multi‑year stormwater funding shortfall and that a mix of short‑term borrowing and a dedicated long‑term revenue source will be required to address neighborhood flooding and aging drainage infrastructure.

Transportation Management Services Department head Trinity Scott said the department’s five‑year stormwater deficit exceeds $300,000,000 and that fiscal year 2026 alone shows an unfunded need of $64,250,000. “For fiscal year 26 and 27 shortfall solution, we’re gonna need to consider solutions such as commercial paper for this this large, amount of money,” Scott said, and added the county also must identify a stable long‑term funding source: “we need to identify a consistent and sustainable funding source for stormwaters.”

The nut graf: county staff framed the shortfall as both a capital and operational problem. In the near term, staff proposed using financing tools already in the county’s toolbox — notably commercial paper tied to existing roadway commercial paper and reallocations within sales surtax allocations — to cover immediate FY26 construction and right‑of‑way needs. For durable funding, staff laid out four commonly used options: a stormwater utility (flat fee by land use), a municipal service taxing unit (MSTU), additional ad valorem (property tax) dedicated to stormwater, or a voter‑approved surtax. Staff also raised franchise fees and bonding alternatives as part of longer‑term financing study work.

Transportation’s presentation identified priority FY26 projects that contributed to the $64.25 million need, including automations and pipe replacements and neighborhood outfall and flowway work at Big Corkscrew, Golden Gate City, Palm River, Poinciana Village, Naples Manor, Vanderbilt Drive and Lake Park. Scott said some projects are tied to partnership work with utilities or municipalities and therefore require coordinated funding and scheduling.

Short‑term direction offered by staff includes reallocating available sales surtax funds toward projects such as the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension so that commercial paper proceeds can be freed for stormwater construction. Staff also said they will work with the finance committee on bonding and financing options for FY27–FY30 needs, and advised the board that a sustainable funding solution would likely take 18–24 months to implement and would be accompanied by implementation costs (staff estimated a planning study line in the expanded budget of about $500,000).

Commissioners and staff discussed the political and practical tradeoffs among candidate funding approaches. County Manager’s office staff told the board that stormwater projects had been removed from the last surtax ballot to avoid confusing voters while a stormwater utility was under study. Commissioners raised the near‑term practical need to prioritize stormwater projects that mitigate recurring neighborhood flooding and noted the potential appeal to voters of surtax and tourist‑tax approaches for raising infrastructure revenue.

Ending: Transportation staff said they will continue procurement work for FY26 projects and return to the board with final financing recommendations after summer finance committee meetings. Scott said the stormwater team is organized to implement projects if funding is provided: “If we put the funding, to them, they will implement.”","Transportation officials told commissioners the county faces a roughly $300 million, five‑year stormwater funding gap and presented short‑ and long‑term options including commercial paper to bridge FY26 needs and a dedicated stormwater funding source such as a stormwater utility, municipal service taxing unit (MSTU), ad valorem levy or surtax.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Supervisor of elections explains voting equipment rules: Florida uses paper ballots; Collier limited to two certified vendors

Sheriff Rambosk seeks funding to implement Evergreen recommendations; highlights lifesaving responses and rising contract costs

County begins ResourceX phase 2: procurement, staffing and program efficiency reviews

Collier County presents FY26 recommended budget: $2.215 billion total, timeline set for millage and hearings

Collier County officials flag $300 million stormwater shortfall; options include utility, MSTU or commercial paper