Charlotte County homeowners could pay hundreds more in taxes

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – Some people in Charlotte County might pay hundreds more in taxes. The county feels road resurfacing needs to be done, but some residents say the tax hike is too high.

Some property owners could pay up to $250 more on their tax bill if the hike is approved. Monday, some residents took the opportunity to voice their opinion about the hike at Charlotte Harbor Conference Center.

“If they’re not resurfaced now as part of maintenance, then year by year the actual road base beyond just the asphalt will be subject to fail,” said Danny Quick, Charlotte County’s public works director.

The county plans to pay for the extensive repaving by increasing the Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) fees. That means designated areas like, Peace River Shores, Private Harbor and South Punta Gorda Heights could see an MSBU increase. Tonight the commissioners gacve the go ahead to move forward with the project. Now staff will assess how much work really needs to be done and how much it will cost.

There is a possibility the cost of the work will be less than what has been talked about.

“There’s a lot of people here that are on fixed income, as myself, and $200 that’s a pretty good portion of my monthly check,” said resident Tony Bowls.

The problem for homeowners like Bowl isn’t just the cash, but the current condition of the roads.

“I think we’re doing pretty good with our roads and stuff, I think it could be used somewhere else that it was needed better,” said Bowls.

Quick says some of these roads haven’t been resurfaced in almost 20 years.

“Based on the fact, now’s the time to do it, because if it’s not done, the roads will further degrade and work doesn’t get any cheaper, it just gets more expensive,” said Quick.

If the roadwork is approved, construction could start next year and neighbors could see a rise on their taxes later this year.