North Port commissioners direct staff to place $115M police headquarters, $31M infrastructure borrowing on May 13 special election

The North Port City Commission on Monday gave staff direction to place two borrowing questions on the May 13 special election ballot: authorization to borrow $115,000,000 to finance a new police headquarters and authorization to borrow up to $31,000,000 for three identified infrastructure projects.

City Manager Fletcher outlined the police headquarters proposal and financing scenarios during a general-business presentation. He described a 108,000-square-foot design with optional space that staff says would serve projected needs through 2065. “If you borrowed the $115,000,000 model ... that would total out to a $121 annually or $0.33 a day for the taxpayer,” Fletcher said. The staff presentation assumed a household illustrative value of about $246,400 for display of estimated tax impacts and explained alternate packages that mix millage-supported bonds with sales-surtax-backed debt.

The $31,000,000 infrastructure borrowing authority would be tied to three named projects: a new solid-waste transfer station (estimated cost $15,000,000; funding gap $12,500,000), a master pumping station in the Forest Main area (estimated cost $3,300,000), and an effluent pumping station and pipeline (approximately 60% designed; funding gap about $15,000,000). City staff described the transfer station as a capacity and efficiency project that reduces truck travel time and fleet wear. Staff said the two utility projects would be paid from utility enterprise revenue or district assessments and that the transfer station would be paid from district assessments, not the general fund.

Commission discussion focused on how to pay the city’s share. Commissioners debated using surtax proceeds that the city will receive from a countywide surtax allocation versus asking taxpayers to support the bonds via a millage-rate increase. City staff said applying $25,000,000 of surtax to the police headquarters would reduce the millage-based portion of the borrowing but would require reprioritizing or deferring surtax projects on a multi-year schedule. Several commissioners said the surtax list of county-approved projects should be reviewed before reallocating funds.

City staff also provided logistics: the special election would cost approximately $131,000, referendum language must be delivered to the supervisor of elections by Feb. 17, and the commission will return for ordinance second readings on Jan. 28. Staff recommended public engagement, including town-hall events, and reiterated legal limits on staff communications (the city may provide factual information but staff cannot advocate for or against ballot measures).

Outcome and next steps: Commissioners recorded consensus direction to put the $115,000,000 police headquarters question and the up-to-$31,000,000 capital projects question on the May 13, 2025 ballot. Staff will prepare ordinances and ballot language for the required readings and for submission to the supervisor of elections. The commission also signaled it wants to continue public outreach and to review surtax project priorities and the city’s CIP before any surtax reallocation.

Why this matters: The ballot questions would authorize large borrowings that, if approved, would fund a long-planned police headquarters and several utility and solid-waste projects. The choice between using property-tax-supported bonds and reallocating surtax revenue could affect other local capital projects and the tax bills of North Port homeowners.