Hendry County to keep most MSBU rates steady while reviewing East Rec assessment increase

HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. — Hendry County staff told commissioners on Monday they plan to keep most Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) assessments at current levels but are proposing an increase for the East Recreation (East Rec) MSBU and will return with more detailed options at a June workshop.

Special districts director Tommy Vaughn summarized the county's MSBU projects and budgets and told the board that "everything is being proposed to stay the same, with the exception of East Rec." He said replacement of playground equipment at Hookers Point Park and a fence at Bopelon Park are among projects the East Rec MSBU funds.

The discussion centered on how to allocate costs across about 4,857 assessed dwelling units in the East Rec MSBU, of which Vaughn said 1,519 are in the Central County Water Control District and 3,338 are in other unincorporated parts of eastern Hendry County. Vaughn told the board the current East Rec budget for 2024'25 is about $553,000 and that staff had proposed reductions to some improvement line items to manage a roughly $96,000 shortfall in the current year.

Commissioners pressed staff for a more granular, facility-level accounting before agreeing to any assessment increase. One commissioner said the county should see "a spreadsheet as to the equipment, the date of service, and what's its life expectancy." Commissioner Howard said she would not support a steep increase without that breakdown, telling staff, "Before it goes on a trim notice, I cannot absolutely will not support a $70 increase." Commissioner Wills said he would be "favorable if it's justified," while also asking for the county's interlocal agreement with the City of Clewiston that governs a $150,000 annual payment the city has received from the county.

Vaughn said the county had asked the City of Clewiston for detailed fiscal information about how the $150,000 is spent and that the city indicated it may seek to raise that contribution to roughly $225,000; Vaughn said that request was new and had not been included in staff's current analysis. Commissioners asked staff to provide the interlocal agreement and historical allocation of the county payment to show whether the city treated the money as a recreation line item or general-fund revenue.

As direction to staff, the board asked that county staff prepare several alternative assessment proposals, including facility-level budgets and parcel-based scenarios similar to work already done for Montura. Vaughn said staff would compile the existing two years of budget breakdowns by location, incorporate the recent Clewiston materials, and present several options at the June constitutional budget workshop.

The county also reviewed other MSBU projects in brief: easement and drainage work for Fellto (Buddy Taylor outfall), county line ditch improvements for the Four Corners MSBU, Riviera Avenue drainage and vegetation removal with the Collins Slough Drainage District for Mid County MSBU, easement pursuit and reconstruction plans for Phillips Road MSBU, and Wheeler Road design to link North and South Wheeler Estates. Vaughn told the commission that construction was anticipated to start for some projects in February and that invitations to bid had been issued for others.

Commissioners debated the MSBU mechanism'which assesses only properties that receive a definable benefit'versus funding recreation from the general fund. One commissioner noted that shifting services to the general fund would require raising millage and that MSBUs were designed so geographically defined benefit units pay for the services they receive.

On several points, commissioners asked staff for follow-up information: an itemized list showing which facilities receive the East Rec funding, a breakdown of mowing and routine maintenance costs (which staff said are not tracked per park), and whether parks or facilities previously moved from recreation to the general fund (for example, Felda and Harlem community centers). Staff also agreed to check whether certain facilities'notably Pioneer Community Center facilities and other civic centers'remain in the recreation MSBU or the general fund.

The board did not take any formal votes on assessments at the meeting. Staff will return to the board with multiple rate options and supporting spreadsheets at the June workshop before any assessment is placed on a trim notice or on property tax rolls.