NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO IMPOSE AND

 PROVIDE FOR COLLECTION OF NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENTS

 TO FUND THE UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES AND

INSTALLATION OF FIBER OPTICS AND STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS 

The Town of Longboat Key is providing for the town-wide undergrounding of electric, communications and cable utilities, and installation of fiber optics and street lighting improvements, in two phases. The first phase involves Gulf of Mexico Drive and the second involves all others areas and neighborhoods of the Town which are not currently undergrounded. Each phase is being funded through the imposition of special assessments on real property in the Town benefitted by the improvements.  Assessments which are not prepaid in full at the option of the property owner are being collected in thirty (30) annual installments on the property tax bill mailed by the county tax collector each November. Collection of the annual installments for the GMD phase began in November 2016 and annual installments for the Neighborhood phase began in November 2018.  The proceeds of the annual installments are used to repay assessment bonds issued by the Town to finance the respective phases of the undergrounding project.

The assessment for each parcel of property is based upon the total number of "equivalent benefit units" ("EBUs") attributable to each tax parcel subject to the assessment, and the onsite improvements, if any, which are necessary to connect the parcel with the undergrounded facilities. Copies of the related Town ordinance and resolutions as well as additional information concerning the project and assessments are available at the Town Clerk’s Office at 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Florida 34228.

Certain parcels are being assessed for the first time in 2023, or the assessment may be increasing above the previously-noticed amount. This change may result from various circumstances including (1) error resulting in under-assessed property; (2) error resulting in omitted property; (3) exemption no longer applies; (4) new development; or (5) the parcel was recently created or is being added to the assessment program for the first time.

The Town Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments from the owners of any such parcels. The hearing will be held at its regularly scheduled meeting on September 11, 2023 at 1 p.m. in the Commission Chambers in Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Florida 34228.  At the conclusion of the hearing, the Town Commission will consider adoption of an Annual Assessment Resolution approving the assessment rolls for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023 and directing collection of the annual installment for such fiscal year on the November 2023 property tax bill. All affected property owners have the right to appear at the public hearing and the right to file written objections with the Town Commission at or before the hearing.     

Please call Brooke Cuppell, Senior Project Analyst for Willdan Financial Services at (623) 239-0328 if you have any questions concerning this notice.

For a copy of the map included in advertisement, please contact the Town Clerk's Office at 941-316-1999.