Sarasota’s Downtown Improvement District has existed for more than a decade. Is it time to expand its reach? The board of directors for the city entity will discuss the matter at a meeting on Tuesday.

John Moran, operations manager for the Sarasota DID, said district was created by the Sarasota City Commission and ultimately it would be a decision by that elected board what happens next. But following a request by the mayor’s office, DID officials will explore a number of possibilities for the Commission to consider.

Originally created in 2008, the DID since that time has funded downtown improvements including landscaping, lighting of trees during the holiday season and organizing promotions. The resources behind that come from a 2-mill property tax on all non-residential property in a an area bound primarily by Palm and Goodrich avenues on the east and west and by Second Street and Ringling Boulevard on the north and south, with some deviations around the edges to include or exclude various properties.

Robert Gibbs, a downtown expert hired by the city years ago to recommend investment strategies in the urban core, suggested the true bounds of the working downtown run are contained by Tamiami Trail and Washington Boulevard on the east and west, and Ringling and Fruitville Road on the north and south. So the DID will explore potentially moving the borders to those streets.

But Moran notes that when the DID formed in 2008, an effort which he helped lead at the time, the Commission wanted a survey that showed a majority of property owners impacted favored self-taxation to see improvements. A survey of the carefully selected retail core for downtown found two-thirds support at the time. “That informal evidence enabled the City Commission to approve the creation of the DID,” he said. 

While Moran isn’t sure that the same effort and findings would occur today, it’s likely any expansion of DID borders would again require a demonstration of support among those who could end up paying a new tax.

“Probably the best occurrence could be a request by those in the expanded area to request joining the DID,” he said. He knows some property owners just outside the district have expressed interest in the past after asking about expanding tree lighting to their businesses and learning the program by law had to be contained within the DID boundaries.

Moran notes the tax structure for the DID could always change. The DID board in 2009 voted upon its formation to enact the maximum allowable property rate under the state statute governing its powers. But there are some similar improvement districts in Florida that tax residential property. Regardless, a broader tax base with the expansion of the district may enable the DID to achieve its goals with a lower millahe and allow for a lower tax rate, something which could result in a new tax on new properties but relief for those already paying into DID coffers.

It’s also quite possible, Moran said, that some districts on the outskirts of any proposed expansion won’t have any interest in becoming part of the district and absorbing a new tax. Moran recalls as far back as 1999, the late downtown advocate Paul Thorpe sought to create a similar taxing district but met resistance from those on the edges of downtown who did believe they would see a benefit.  

This past Friday, Von Paris Moving & Storage trucks carrying Orioles equipment departed from Camden Yards, making their way to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota in preparation for the 2022 Spring Training season. The trucks will travel 1,000 miles before arriving at the Orioles’ Spring Training home early this week. The 2022 season will mark the Orioles’ 13th Spring Training season in Sarasota and the club’s 12th year at the renovated Ed Smith Stadium. Von Paris Moving & Storage has been the official mover of the Orioles since 1991. Spring Training games are slated to begin Saturday, February 26, as the Orioles host the New York Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium. Tickets are currently on-sale for all 16 Spring Training home games in Sarasota. 

Click to purchase tickets.

WHAT ‘NEW FRONTIERS’ DO YOU SEE WITHIN YOUR INDUSTRY THAT SRQ READERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

There is potential for significant change in tax and estate planning laws in the near future. Combined with shifting fis- cal and monetary policy around the world, this decade could look very different from the previous one. These potential changes, and the accompanying uncertainty, make proper planning a necessity. Every day our conversations with cur- rent and potential clients are about what those changes could mean for them and how to prepare. Most people we talk with are concerned that their current plans and investments may not be the best solution for the future. We are guiding families to update those plans and portfolios when necessary to better align with their desired outcomes.

GULFSIDE WEALTH; Jared R. Motzenbecker | CFP®, CMT, CPWA® Senior Wealth Advisor. **Any opinions or forecasts contained herein reflect the subjective judgements of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of LPL Financial. This information should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. 

Click here for full JAN22 Ask The Expert flipbook.

Shumaker is excited to announce that Patrick J. Duggan has been named a partner of the firm. Patrick is a member of the Labor, Employment and Benefits Service Line in the Sarasota office. Experienced in both state and federal courts, Patrick practices employment law and litigation on behalf of management in a variety of complex workplace and business disputes. The following Tampa lawyers have also been named partners of the firm. Stefan Beuge is a member of the Finance, Banking, Creditors' Rights and Insolvency Service Line in the Tampa office, where he focuses on representing creditors, investors, and distressed debt lenders in bankruptcy, foreclosure, and collections. In addition to his creditor rights work, Stefan also practices in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) law. Grant P. Dearborn is a Board Certified Health Care lawyer with 20 years of health law experience and is a member of the Health Law Service Line in the Tampa office. Grant is also certified in Healthcare Compliance and Privacy by the Health Care Compliance Association and he is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit and County Court Mediator.

Founded in 1925, the Shumaker team of more than 270 lawyers and advisors is a premier provider of legal and legislative solutions, focused on being a positive and impactful difference maker for our clients and in the communities we serve. 

CreArte Latino Cultural Center presents a new bilingual family performance, “Magic Show/Noche de Magia” on February 4 at 7:30 pm. Locally known as the “Great Comedian and Magician,” Einar Ibarra created and stars in the performance. Originally from Mexico, Ibarra attended a school for the arts and took classes in music and dance. He and his father sometimes performed as clowns together at events, dressing up and making people laugh. He became interested in magic as a teenager. “My neighbor was a magician; he would do the tricks for me and make me study them on my own,” says Ibarra. “He insisted that I figure them out for myself. And it was fun to learn and show my friends and family.” For Einar, magic and comedy go together and he’s looking forward making people laugh in CreArte Latino’s new theater. “The reason I do magic is to bring joy to the community.”

“Reaching out to children and families, to people of all ages, with a variety of events, is a vital part of our mission,” says Carolina Franco, president and artistic director of CreArte Latino Cultural Center. Programs have included classes in dance and acting for children, as well as book clubs and art workshops for families. “We are so happy to host a local artist in a bilingual performance accessible and entertaining for everyone.” CreArte Latino Cultural Center follows #SafeArtsSarasota Covid protocols. Tickets are $15. 

Click here to register.

JFCS of the Suncoast was recently awarded three grants for its Building Strong Families program. Building Strong Families, offered in Sarasota and Manatee counties since 2003, is a project geared towards keeping families with school-age children in the home safely housed in their present home by providing financial assistance and case management services because of a job loss or reduced earnings.

The grants include:  $10,000 from Truist Bank, $25,000 from the Virginia White Clark Memorial Fund at the Bank of America Client Foundation, for use in the Employment and Financial Stability program of Building Strong Families; and, $50,000 from the Siemer Family Foundation Fund at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

The grants will help JFCS continue to serve those at risk of homelessness because of domestic violence, substance abuse, divorce/separation, medical crisis, employment loss and other life challenges. The program is also geared at reducing school mobility among low-income students. Services include intensive case management, counseling, education, employment coaching and budgeting tools.

“Like many of the programs offered by JFCS, Building Strong Families relies on the generosity of donors and area foundations who understand the importance of these essential human services in our community,” said Ron Katz, JFCS Chief Development Officer. “By supporting prevention-focused programs, our donors help us provide the most appropriate services to individuals and families from across the region.” 

For more information.