Week oF SePTeMBeR 20, 2023
VOLUME 61, NUMBER 44
City council OKs tentative budget, mills By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
The Watch Party to feature fun ways to give, more By STAFF REPORT
T
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he Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation will host The Watch Party on Sept. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at its soon-to-be-reopened Sanibel headquarters, with the proceeds to benefit Coastal Watch. Part of the SCCF family, Coastal Watch is dedicated to preserving Southwest Florida's estuaries and oceans for future generations — a mission that it carries out with the help of committed volunteers who execute projects, such as mangrove planting, oyster gardening, beach litter cleanup and more. The fundraiser will feature live music from Uproot Hootenanny, plus a shrimp boil and other good eats. Point Ybel Brewing will serve up craft beers, with wine and non-alcoholic beverages also available. In addition, there will be several fun ways for attendees to support Coastal Watch. Whitney's Bait & Tackle is sponsoring a Whitney's Casting See THe WATCH PARTY, page 14
If you go What The Watch Party
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The Sanibel Public Library District's Board of Commissioners recently adopted the tentative millage rate and budget for fiscal year 2023-24 at its first budget hearing. On Sept. 12, the commissioners voted 4-0 to approve an operating rate of 0.5667 mills — which is greater than the
IslanderInsIde
When Sept. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Where Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation headquarters, 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel Why To benefit Coastal Watch The band Uproot Hootenanny will perform at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's The Watch Party on Sept. 29 to benefit Coastal Watch. SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
Library board approves tentative millage rate and budget By TIFFANY REPECKI
The Sanibel City Council adopted the tentative millage rate and budget for the island for fiscal year 2023-24 during its first budget hearing last week. On Sept. 11, it voted unanimously 50 to approve an operating rate of 2.500 mills — which is lower than the not-toexceed rate of 2.9598 that it had approved in July and lower than the 2.5064 that it had directed staff at an August workshop to use when preparing the proposed budget for the first hearing. Included in the millage rate resolution, the council also approved the voted debt service millage rates, including 0.0624 mills for the tentative sewer and 0.1305 mills for the tentative recreation center. The operating millage rate can be lowered during the budget process but not raised. The council also voted 5-0 to See CITY CoUNCIL, page 14
rolled-back rate of 0.3642 by 55.60%, but lower than the not-to-exceed rate of 0.6260 mills they had set in July. The millage rate can be lowered during the budget process but not raised. Vice Chair Linda Uhler, Secretary Susan Holly and Commissioner Roy Gibson were absent. The commissioners also voted 4-0 to approve a tentative budget of $2,390,348
for the coming year. The Lee County Property Appraiser's Office certified that the gross taxable value for operating purposes not exempt from taxation within Lee County to the district as $4,217,789,351. The second and final budget hearing was scheduled for Sept. 18 at 5:01 p.m.
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