Feasibility
August 2023 Feasibility Report
Published here is BJM Consulting’s feasibility report for the proposed town of Perdido, Florida, as of August 27, 2023, for the initial study area outlined in purple on the map. Always check the report date on the document, whether downloaded or printed, to ensure you are looking at the latest copy.
BJM Consulting invited thirty-eight local community leaders to participate in the report’s questionnaire for the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis section. The list included the areas’ two current county commissioners, past and present county staff, and local citizens. All their comments to BJM Consulting were anonymized and published unredacted, 18 pages worth in total.
We Are Perdido plans to submit this report and other required documentation to the state of Florida for review by September 1, 2023. During that process, the state will, at some point in fall 2023, request updated budget projections based on FY 2024 tax roll information, Florida Department of Revenue state-shared revenue projections, the new adopted county budget, and 2023 US Census estimates.
It is important to note that the proposed boundaries remain fluid, based on citizen input, until a legislative vote during the 2024 session. If boundaries are updated, the budget projections would also need to be updated, always with the latest available data.
When the study was initiated (February 2023), the proposed boundaries did not include Roscoe Field and Coral Creek/Target areas, so Florida Department of Revenue projections could not yet include them. The study will expand to consider these areas when all relevant FY 2024 data becomes available.
This August 27, 2023, report includes budgets and figures based on FY 2023 data and 2022 US Census population estimates and refers to the initial study boundaries outlined in purple. Projections are for FY 2024 through FY 2028. When FY 2024 budgets are approved, numbers will be updated and projections will be for FY 2025 through FY 2029.
Though lengthy, the full report is highly educational. As municipal incorporation is a weighty issue for any community to consider, citizens are encouraged to read it in its entirety. Please email any questions or comments concerning the report to feasibility@weareperdido.org.
If you like what you see, please consider donating to help offset the costs of the intensive six-month study.
About BJM Consulting, Inc.
BJM Consulting is a research firm specializing in local government activities, headed by Joe Mazurkiewicz, Jr. In 1983 Mr. Mazurkiewicz was elected Mayor of Cape Coral. Presently, Joe works on a variety of local issues ranging from land use cases to incorporation studies. The firm has completed 35 incorporation studies for Florida communities, beginning with Fort Myers Beach, FL. His approach specializes in the conservative and fiscally responsible small government model known as government lite.
Joe attended the University of Florida were he studied engineering, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Administration from Barry University, a Master’s of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a Concentration in Public Administration Cum Laude from Stamford Hill University. He formerly served as Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Director of the Public Administration Program at IMPAC University.
Joe is also Executive Director of the Council for Progress Foundation, Past Chairman for the Leadership Cape Coral Class of 2000, Board Member with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Board Member of Gulf Coast Village, was appointed by Governor Crist to serve on the Florida Transportation Commission and is a Rotarian through the Cape Coral Goldcoast Club.
Full Study and Special Act (August 2023)
The full filing to the state included not only the feasibility report, but numerous supporting documents, and the first draft of the Special Act (proposed municipal charter). This is an extensive document (126 pages in total). It is available here.
PLEASE NOTE, the Special Act as filed in October contains several updates per Bill Drafting. The most recent Special Act will be published here as well when filed.
Again, all budget projections will need to be updated with FY 2024 tax information when available. This will likely occur in December 2023.
