NORTH PORT, Fla. — Will you let North Port borrow money without your say so? Commissioners hope you will say yes.
North Port commissioners held a special meeting Wednesday to address whether to alter the city charter to give them the ability to borrow money without voter approval.
City officials told North Port Community Correspondent Victoria Scott that the city is the only municipality out of more than 400 in Florida that need voters to approve every time it borrows money.
The irony here: this will be something that is in the hands of voters on the Nov. 5 ballot.
If you approve it, the city can borrow money without your say so during declared emergencies. The money would help pay for projects during emergencies and other public safety needs.
Commissioners also addressed whether a cap of $15 million should be included in the charter and ballot language when it comes to paying for non-emergency projects. They approved a motion for it in a 5-0 vote.
"This freedom of the $15 million gives you the flexibility to use funds that are not taxes," North Port City Manager Jerome Fletcher told Scott. "This will allow us to take care of the disasters as well as the failing infrastructure and then anything else we need should be a small amount, or those larger amounts should have to go out to the voters to weigh in on their opinion anyway."
Commissioners are urging them to approve the referendum in the general election this fall.
