Home > News & Media > Eight Local Water Basin Boards to Be Eliminated

Eight Local Water Basin Boards to Be Eliminated

Lakeland Ledger – May 25, 2011

The eight local basin boards under the Southwest Florida Water Management District will disappear, the agency’s Governing Board decided Tuesday.

The basin boards, which had separate taxing authority and were responsible for funding local water projects, were abolished in an economy measure by the agency, which Gov. Rick Scott has ordered to cut their budgets.

Polk water projects have been funded by the Peace, Alafia and Hillsborough basin boards, all of which included parts of the county.

Swiftmud spokeswoman Robyn Felix said the $350,000 to $400,000 a year that the move will save will be mostly a result of reduced travel by staff to basin board meetings all over the 16-county district.

Felix said the agency will still provide funding for local water projects, but the funding will be handled by the Governing Board.

She said board members will discuss next month how to process those requests.

Click here to view this article online-