February 10, 2026
Where Did $339 Million in Stormwater Fees Go?
Where Did $339 Million in Stormwater Fees Go?
For years, residents along Phillippi Creek have wondered: if we're paying stormwater assessments, why doesn't the system work?
After analyzing Sarasota County's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs), budgets, and financial transparency data, we have an answer — and it's not what most people expect.
The Numbers Don't Add Up
Since 2011, Sarasota County has collected approximately $27 million per year in stormwater assessments. Over 14 years, that's more than $339 million.
Yet the infrastructure has been neglected. Canals are silted. Waterways are clogged. When hurricanes hit, the system fails.
Follow the Money
Here's where it actually goes:
| Category | Annual Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Service Charges | $12-15M | ~55% |
| Personnel | $8M | ~30% |
| Depreciation | $5M | ~20% |
| External Contractors | $7M | ~25% |
Wait — that's more than 100%. That's because "expenses" include non-cash items like depreciation, and the internal charges are the hidden story.
The Hidden Siphon
Approximately 60% of stormwater "expenses" are internal service charges paid to other county departments:
- Fleet Services (vehicles and fuel)
- Information Technology
- Risk Management and Insurance
- Administrative overhead
These charges are legal. But they mean that only about $7 million per year actually goes to external contractors doing drainage work.
What This Means for Phillippi Creek
The stormwater fund was never really designed to maintain infrastructure. It's structured as a revenue source that subsidizes general county operations.
After overhead extraction, maybe $7-10 million per year actually reaches stormwater work. And how much of that went to our watershed?
The money was real, but it was being siphoned into overhead before it ever reached a dredging contractor.
The Path Forward
The good news: federal disaster recovery funds have been allocated. The county has committed to dredging.
The question now: will history repeat, or will residents finally get the infrastructure they've been paying for?
We'll keep watching. We'll keep documenting. And we'll keep advocating.
This analysis is based on public records including Sarasota County CAFRs, adopted budgets, and GovMax financial transparency data. All sources are available upon request.