Subject:
Title
Ordinance creating a Municipal Services Taxing Unit for recreation services and facilities in the unincorporated Seminole area.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Conduct a public hearing and adopt an ordinance to establish a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) within a specific area of the unincorporated Seminole area described as the “district”, for the purpose of funding maintenance, operation, and capital improvements to recreation facilities within the boundaries of the district.
• Pinellas County owns three recreational facilities within the district which would benefit from the MSTU funds: Seminole Junior Warhawks Sports Complex (10410 125th Street), Cross Bayou Athletic Complex (10150 98th Street), and SYAA Sports Park (12000 90th Avenue North).
• The ordinance would provide up to a one-quarter mill levy of ad valorem taxes on property within the district boundaries.
• Total annual revenue generated through a one-quarter mill levy is estimated at $987,750.00.
• A one-quarter mill levy is expected to cost the average residential property within the proposed boundary an additional $45 per year, based on November 2023 taxable values.
• The proposed MSTU district, as shown on the attached map, is bounded by 122nd Avenue to the north, 54th Avenue to the south, Starkey Road to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west.
• The MSTU may only be applied to unincorporated properties within the district boundaries.
• The ordinance allows for the creation of a nonprofit corporation for the administration and operation of the business affairs of the district, to include one nomination from each of three youth recreation non-profits and four citizen members residing within the unincorporated area of the district boundaries.
• If the ordinance establishing a MSTU is approved, these revenues and expenditures would be included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget.
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Strategic Plan:
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.2 Invest in communities that need the most.
4.4 Invest in infrastructure to meet current and future needs.
4.6 Support a vibrant community with recreation, arts, and culture to attract residents and visitors.
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach.
Summary:
Summary
The creation of an MSTU is intended to provide funding for the operation and maintenance of recreation facilities owned by Pinellas County within the boundary of the proposed Unincorporated Seminole Sports District. The three youth sports facilities, Seminole Junior Warhawks Sports Complex (10410 125th St.), Cross Bayou Athletic Complex (10150 98th St.), and SYAA Sports Park (12000 90th Ave. N.) would be operated, improved, and maintained by the Unincorporated Seminole Sports District, with the Board of County Commissioners as the governing body of the district and a nonprofit corporation created for purposes of the operation and administration of the business affairs of the district.
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Background Information:
The Special Act of the Florida Legislature establishing the Greater Seminole Area Recreation District (GSARD) was approved in 1980 and provided funding for the acquisition of land and construction of facilities at the current Seminole Youth Athletic Association Sports Park (SYAA) and Seminole Junior Warhawks Athletic Association Sports Complex (SJWAA) properties. In 2023 the GSARD requested a local bill to repeal the Special Act, thereby dissolving the district and transferring the SYAA property to the County.
Pinellas County has provided general fund support to CBAA, SJWAA and SYAA totaling $100,000 annually, from FY2016 to present through the Parks and Conservation Resources Department (PCR) operating budget.
In 2017, Pinellas County contracted with RS&H Inc. and Sports Facilities Advisory to create a master plan for sports facilities in the unincorporated Seminole area. The master plan called for the incorporation of all three unincorporated Seminole facilities to coordinate and collaborate for programming and field space, as no single facility is sufficiently sized to address all youth sports programs at one location. The final master plan incorporates baseball and softball facilities at the Cross Bayou Athletic Complex, soccer and multi-purpose field sports at Seminole Junior Warhawks Sports Complex, and football and senior baseball/adult softball facilities at SYAA Sports Park. The first phase of the master plan will begin with construction and renovation of the Cross Bayou Athletic Complex in fall 2024. Full implementation of the sports facility master plan is expected to take six or more years to complete.
If the ordinance is approved, a millage for the MSTU could be applied, with collection to begin in November 2024, to provide revenues to support an FY2025 budget.
Fiscal Impact:
The projected revenue from a one-quarter mill levy is estimated at $987,750 per year. Should the Board decide to levy a lower millage rate, the amount of ad valorem revenue created by the MSTU would be adjusted accordingly.
Implementation of an MSTU would result in a $100,000 reduction in general fund expenses from the PCR operating budget.
Staff Member Responsible:
Paul Cozzie, Parks & Conservation Resources Director
Partners:
Cross Bayou Athletic Association
Seminole Junior Warhawks Athletic Association
Seminole Youth Athletic Association
Attachments:
Unincorporated Seminole Recreation MSTU Proposed Ordinance FINAL
Unincorporated Seminole MSTU Taxing District Boundary 10_20_2023
Business Impact Estimate