I am deeply concerned by the Sarasota County commissioners' suggestion that the Gulf Gate community participate financially in the purchase of the former golf course property.
The question that should be asked is simple:
Why should the immediate Gulf Gate community bear the burden of decisions resulting from years of poor judgment and planning by county leadership?
Gulf Gate residents did not create the circumstances that now require this property to be acquired, yet they are being asked to help finance the solution.
County officials have argued that preserving the former golf course would provide flood protection, stormwater management benefits and recreational opportunities.
But if that is true, then the benefits extend far beyond the boundaries
of Gulf Gate.
Flood mitigation is a countywide concern, and recreational open space is a public amenity for all Sarasota County residents to enjoy.
It is neither fair nor reasonable to ask one neighborhood to be solely taxed year after year for benefits that serve the entire county.
Gulf Gate homeowners already pay their fair share through property taxes and other assessments.
Asking them to assume an additional financial obligation creates a troubling precedent.
If preserving this land is truly in the public interest, then the cost should be shared equitably by the broader community through countywide funding mechanisms, grants or other public resources.
Before asking residents to open their wallets, county leaders should explain why this project was not anticipated, what alternative funding sources have been pursued and why Gulf Gate citizens are being singled out to help pay for a solution that provides countywide environmental and recreational benefits.
The residents of Gulf Gate deserve a voice in determining the future of the former golf course property.
However, they should not be expected to carry a disproportionate financial burden for problems they did not create and benefits they will not enjoy exclusively.
David Hauser, Sarasota County
Hauser is a Gulf Gate resident.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Don't make Gulf Gate clean up Sarasota County's mess | Letter
