Rail to Trail Referendum Up to Voters

VOTERS IN 2 CITIES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WILL DECIDE ON AUGUST 18TH TO RAISE TAXES ON THEMSELVES TO PAY FOR MAJOR PROJECTS. PEOPLE IN BONITA SPRINGS AND MARCO ISLAND WILL VOTE ON BOND REFERENDUMS PROPOSALS TO BORROW MONEY. AND FOR MORE ON THIS WGCUS. MIKE WALTER IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THESE PROPOSALS AND THEIR COSTS. >> WHAT ANALYSTS START BONITA SPRINGS. IT IS A BOOMING CITY WITH NEARLY 60,000 YEAR-ROUND RESIDENTS AND VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ALLOW THE CITY TO BORROW 35 MILLION DOLLARS WITH A 30 YEAR PAY OFF. THIS MONEY WOULD GO FOR A MAJOR RECREATIONAL TRAIL THROUGH THE CITY. MOST OF THE CASH WOULD GO TO THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND'S TO BUY NEARLY 6 MILES OF THE OLD ABANDONED SEMINOLE GOLF RAIL LINE. NOW THAT PURCHASE WILL BE COMBINED WITH MONEY FROM COLLIER COUNTY AND ESTERO TO FUND A NEARLY 12 MILE TRAIL FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS OF COLLIER AND ESTERO HAVE COMMITTED THEIR PARTS OF THE 60 MILLION DOLLAR PURCHASE PRICE. AND BONITA IS THE LAST ELEMENT. THE LONGEST SECTION TO MAKE THE TRACKS. AND THIS RAIL TRAIL FOR PUBLIC USE A REALITY. BUT THERE'S OPPOSITION AND DAVE J IS PUT ON A LOT OF MATERIAL ONLINE ARGUING THAT THIS TRAIL WILL BE A MONEY PIT FOR BONITA. THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND'S THE CITY COUNCIL IN BONITA HAVE ARGUED MANY OF THE CLAIMS AGAINST THE REFERENDUM ARE FALLS OR EXAGGERATED. ALSO, A GROUP CALLED FRIENDS OF BIRCH FRIENDS OF THE BONITA ESTERO RAIL TRAIL HAS BEEN MOST ACTIVE FOR ACTUALLY SEVERAL YEARS IN IN GENERAL SUPPORT OF THIS IDEA. THE CITY SAYS APPROVAL WOULD MEAN AN EXTRA $57 A YEAR IN TAXES FOR A HOME WITH A TAXABLE VALUE OF 440,000. SO VOTERS DECIDE 50%. PLUS ONE FOR APPROVAL OR DEFEAT OF THAT PLAN. NOW THE OTHER REFERENDUM GOES BEFORE VOTERS IN MARCO ISLAND. 23 MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY TO REPLACE 2 OF THE OLDER BRIDGES, PRIMARILY WCAX AMBOS. IT IS SHOWING SOME CRACKS AND THE CITY SAYS BADLY NEEDS REPLACEMENT. ALSO ANOTHER NEARBY BRIDGE GOLDENROD WOULD BE REPLACED WITH THE MONEY AND THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO REPAIR 3 OTHER BRIDGES AND THEN REPAVE SOME ROADS THAT BADLY NEED A NEW SURFACE. ACCORDING TO CITY ENGINEERS, BONN PAYOFF, 20 YEARS AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY MARKOW NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE 50 TO 60 MILLION DOLLARS FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS. 23 MILLION AT LEAST WOULD BE A START. THE CITY COUNCIL, LAURA AND MARCO ON MARCO IN THE PAST. HE'S CONSIDERED TAX INCREASES TO PAY FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS. BUT A LOT OF OPPOSITION POPPED UP AND THAT CONVINCED THE COUNCIL TO LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE YES OR NO. THE COST OF APPROVAL WOULD BE ROUGHLY 55 TO $60 A YEAR ON A HOME VALUED FOR TAXES AT 580,000 APPROVAL REJECTION AGAIN REQUIRING 50% PLUS ONE. >> NOW, MIKE, WHAT WOULD IT MEAN IF ONE OR BOTH OF THESE BOND REFERENDUMS FAILED AT THE POLLS? WELL, IT IS CERTAINLY ON MARCO ISLAND. THE RESULT WOULD BE THAT. >> THE CITY WILL HAVE TO ASK FOR GRANTS FROM THE STATE OR LOCAL A STATE OR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO TRY TO GET MONEY TO DO THESE PROJECTS AND TRYING TO GET THAT EXTRA MONEY. THAT COULD BE PRETTY DICEY GIVEN EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THE ECONOMY AND WITH BUDGETS NATIONALLY AND STATEWIDE IN BONITA SPRINGS. WELL, AND IT WOULD KIND OF BE BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND BONITA WOULD HAVE TO SAY IS SOMEBODY OUT THERE ABOUT 30 MILLION DOLLARS. OKAY. THAT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH ONE. AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS SAYING IF IT IS VOTED DOWN AFTER ALL THE TIME THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO THIS SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE ON AND ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES. IT'S A NO VOTE. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO SALVAGE. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO COME UP >> IT ISN'T CERTAINLY SOME TO KEEP AN EYE ON BEFORE NEXT TUESDAY'S PRIMARIES. YEP, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE RESULTS WILL BE MOST INTERESTED VERY