With the close of the tax season the East County Water Control District has a shortfall of 19 percent in assessment revenue due to uncollected taxes.

The budget provided for assessment revenue of $3,959,074. Actual revenue as of April 7 was only $3,194,031 or 80.07 percent.

How much additional revenue will be obtained will depend on the sale of tax certificates by the tax collector.

With the drop in land values there may not be a demand for the purchase of the certificates.

The Office of the Lee County Property Appraiser confirmed an example of a decline in land value. Last year the land value of a parcel had a market value of $21,400. This coming year it will have a value of $6,000. The preliminary estimate is a 30 percent decline in Lee County property values. Lehigh Acres may experience a 50 percent decline in land value, county officials said.

The board approved a change order to the contract for Armadillo Underground for the Harns Marsh water works project.

The loan money for the project will be received from the Florida Department of Environment Protection as part of the federal stimulus funds.

The contract for this project was bid and accepted last year.

Washington has mandated that the contract pay Davis-Bacon wage rates. This will increase the cost by $25,500.

Additionally Washington has required compliance with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) provisions for special preferences for minority and women businesses.

The survey work for the project was to be performed by the sub-contractor, Banks Engineering, for $6,050. This firm is not a qualified DBE company.

Armadillo is in receipt of one possible alternate contract from TKW Consulting Engineers in the amount of $14,278. This will result in an increase of $8,226, more than a 100 percent price increase.

TKW is a company owned by State Rep. Trudi K. Williams and is a qualified disadvantage business enterprise.

As a result of these mandates from Washington,the taxpayers will have to pay an increase of $33,728 over the original contract bid price.

The East County Water Control District will meet on Tuesday, May 19 for its regular meeting. The agenda will be posted on its web site at: www.ecwcd.com.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at District Headquarters located off of Lee Blvd. on Construction Lane. The meeting is open to the public and public comment is welcome.