FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers City Council released its first-ever condensed annual comprehensive financial report.
The city has taken what usually is a 300-page document and shortened it to 12 pages.
The mayor tells me it helps the city be more transparent about spending your tax dollars.
Stormwater projects and water concerns come up every time it rains, or there's a notice that people in Fort Myers shouldn't drink their water.
And the biggest question your Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price hears from the community is "is the city actually spending money to fix the problem?"
Mayor Kevin Anderson says yes.
"Our operating expenses, however, were in the negative," says Mayor Kevin Anderson. "So we saved money. We came out about $43 million ahead this year."
The mayor is referring to money from a business-type fund, which he says is almost $100 million of operating revenue solely used for stormwater and wastewater.
"Keep in mind that projects like this are ongoing, and it's just not a matter of, you know, from October 1 to September 30; these dollars carry over year to year," says Anderson.
Anderson says the city is fiscally strong, and when you look at the debt in the city, there's been a decline.
He says it's not extra money, but there's wiggle room to help finance other projects soon.
"Infrastructure! I think are approaching about 70% of our utilities, underground utilities, water and sewer haven't been replaced," says Anderson. "We still have areas in the city where we probably have clay pipes, if not lead pipes, that, you know, we're slowly working toward bringing up the new police headquarters, another that's going to be another expensive project, but a very much needed project."
He also mentions developing green spaces to make the community more appealing and updating parks.
The mayor also said the city has increased reserve funds. This means if there is a rainy day or catastrophe, the city has money set aside to tend to those issues.
