A new survey of Sarasota County residents showed population growth and new development topping the list of issues concerning residents. Fiscal year 2016 was the fourth-straight year growth and development have far outpaced any other concerns in the annual public opinion survey conducted by the University of South Florida Institute of Government. One-quarter of all those surveyed listed that as their #1 concern. Only EIGHT percent said taxes, which came in second…but that’s still one of the first years in a while that taxes have been in the top five biggest issues. Officials who did the USF survey, though, say that worry over taxes is actually a net positive. That worry actually reflects the recovery from the recession, with residents’ rising property values turning into higher tax bills each November.
