TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Agreement By and Between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, Regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments for Nuisance Abatement Pursuant to Resolution 2025-R-87.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the Agreement by and between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments for Nuisance Abatement pursuant to Resolution 2025-R-87.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the Agreement by and between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments for Nuisance Abatement pursuant to Resolution 2025-R-87.
• Pros: Approval of the Agreement enables more efficient recovery of municipal resources that have been expended to abate certain Code Enforcement violations.
• Cons: There are no identified negative consequences regarding approval of the Agreement.
Option 2: Deny the Agreement by and between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments for Nuisance Abatement pursuant to Resolution 2025-R-87.
• Pros: There are no identified positive outcomes regarding denial of the Agreement.
• Cons: Denial of the Agreement would prevent the efficient recovery of municipal resources that have been expended to abate certain Code Enforcement violations.
Background Information
During the City Commission Regular Meeting held on December 9, 2025, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2025-R-87, electing to use the uniform method for collecting non-ad valorem assessments to fund costs incurred by the City each year in providing municipal services related to the abatement of nuisance conditions as contemplated by Chapter 42 of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida.
To implement the collection of these non-ad valorem assessments, the City and the Sarasota County Tax Collector must enter into an Agreement specifying the provisions and responsibilities associated with assessment collection.
The Agreement by and between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
The Agreement by and between the City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and Bill Furst, Property Appraiser of Sarasota County, regarding Uniform Method of Collection and Enforcement of Non-Ad Valorem Assessments was submitted to the City Clerk’s Office on May 12, 2026, for signature subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Good Governance
Financial Impact
The City is anticipated to receive additional revenue from the collection of non-ad valorem assessments. The revenue is expected to be higher in the initial collection, as the City intends to process assessments of liens that have been in place for several years. These assessments would be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the individual lien amount and the portion of the lien related to actual costs incurred by the City. As such, there is no estimated amount that would be collected. Any amounts collected will be directed to the General Fund.
Regarding administrative costs by the Tax Collector, F.S. 197.3632 caps the Tax Collector's administrative costs at 2% of the amount collected or the actual cost to provide the collection service, whichever is less. These costs are not invoiced to the City for payment but rather are subtracted from the amount collected by the Tax Collector and the remainder is remitted to the City. The Tax Collector currently charges the City 1.5% of collected funds.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Agreement with Sarasota County Property Appraiser
2. Resolution 2025-R-87
3. December 9, 2025 Minutes
Prepared by: Alaina Ray, AICP, Development Services Director
Department Director: Alaina Ray, AICP, Development Services Director