Photo: Clarke Mosquito Control office
It seems curious that a meeting that will affect thousands of Port LaBelle owners takes place on the farthest side of the county away from Port LaBelle, and also curious how the fee schedule is set to favor acreage owners over residences, vacant lots and commercial owners.
The county currently has a contract with Clarke Mosquito Control, based at a county building on Utility Drive in Port LaBelle to cover most rural area in Hendry County except Port LaBelle. Adding Port LaBelle will presumably increase it's revenue from Hendry County by $250,00 or more. They collect almost a half million dollars from the county currently.
The county says it will collect $775,930 from the mosquito tax, including $293,200 from the Port LaBelle owners if the commission votes yes.
Banyan Village - Lonely Home To Get Mosquito Control?
The county commission is planning to vote for a $30 tax per home, vacant lot, or commercial lot for all owners in "developed blocks" of Port LaBelle. Developed lots are in Port LaBelle Units 1 through 9 currently.
Acreage owner are getting break paying only $1 per acre with a maximum of $100. All the other Port LaBelle property owners, most all are 1/4 acre lots, have maximums of $200 to $500 but pay $30 per lot.
Banyan Village, 5 miles east of the developed areas of Port LaBelle, includes units 10-13 and has only one house and under the proposed scheme that house and the empty lots around it would be charged for mosquito control.
Reportedly, 35 Banyan Village lots have water hookups now connected, presumably for new homes to be built soon, so all those homes and the empty lots around those homes when completed will pay the $30 fee.
Objections will be heard at the Commission meeting September 14, or by written objections to Hendry County Administrator, Box 2340, LaBelle, Fl. 33975.
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