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Port St. Lucie oversight committee: half‑cent surtax funds used properly; $74.9M invested in roads, sidewalks
Summary
The Infrastructure Surtax Citizens Oversight Committee reported the city used about $74.9 million in half‑cent surtax proceeds in compliance with state law and ballot language and asked council to accept the FY2024–25 annual report. The council approved the report by voice vote.
Ken Kroll, chair of the Infrastructure Surtax Citizens Oversight Committee, told the Port St. Lucie City Council on March 9 that the committee found the city’s use of the half‑cent sales surtax proceeds for fiscal year 2024–25 to be in compliance with the statutory and ballot requirements and aligned with the council‑approved 10‑year plan.
Kroll said the surtax program has generated approximately $74,900,000 to date and highlighted accomplishments paid for with those proceeds, including about 13.7 miles of new sidewalks (roughly $5.3 million invested) and more than 83 miles of road resurfacing (about $11.6 million). He singled out the Floresta Corridor improvements as a multi‑phase project that improved traffic flow and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity near schools.
The committee’s mandate, Kroll said, is to ensure surtax expenditures comply with the Florida statute cited in the report and the city’s ordinance and to confirm adherence to the 10‑year referendum plan approved by voters. He described the committee’s review as based on documents, plans, budgets, permits and reports submitted for the 10/1/2024–9/30/2025 period.
During council questions, Kroll and Public Works staff said construction costs rose after the COVID‑19 pandemic because supply chains were disrupted and prices have not returned to pre‑pandemic levels; they also said using the same competitively bid contractor across phases can reduce mobilization costs and help control spending. “The money is closely monitored,” Kroll said.
A council member moved to accept the committee’s FY2024–25 annual report; the council approved the motion by voice vote.
The oversight committee encouraged residents to review project details on the city’s webpage and noted that renewal of the voter‑approved surtax in coming years will determine whether the city continues to fund these road, stormwater and pedestrian improvements via the surtax or shifts costs to property tax payers.
