Gulfport Mayoral Candidates Discuss Permitting Costs

Welcome to our weekly series, "Candidate Question of the Week," on Gulfport Patch. We will be asking Sam Henderson, current Vice Mayor, and Bob Worthington, former City Councilor, a question each week until the City Elections on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

Both men are vying for your votes for Gulfport Mayor. Below are their responses to our third question of the week.

This question was added in the comment section below a previous "Question of the Week" by a Gulfport reader.

Q #4: "I would like to hear the candidates address the issue of permitting costs. I feel that as owners of homes we are subjected to extremely high permit fees. For example, 70.00 for a front door replacement? 50.00 for a window? I think this is detrimental to both the neighborhoods look and the economy over all. I think these costs need to be lowered so we can see more home owners updating their homes and beautifying the neighborhoods. What do the candidates think?"

Sam Henderson

"The city fee schedule for residential construction permits is in line with that of the county, and was modeled to be so. That being said, I do think there are ways that we can make the process and price easier on residents. One of the solutions I envision, and have discussed with city staff, is a change to the variance process similar to the changes we made to the commercial process. If we were to establish a threshold below which certain renovation projects could be approved administratively as opposed to through a hearing before the Board of Adjustments, then that would save residents money and time. An example of this would be the scenario in which one my neighbors’ recently found herself. She is replacing her carport, but the footprint of the existing carport does not comply with the setback requirements. The structure was out of compliance when she purchased the home, not through any act of her own. If there was a provision in our code that allowed for the exact replacement of an existing structure, through an administrative variance, then this would save her a couple of hundred dollars and the valuable time that she will now have to wait for the variance hearing. It is important to have hearings for variances when significant changes will be made to a structure that would put it out of compliance or have a potentially detrimental effect upon neighbors, but I believe that we can create a threshold below which some minor changes or structural repairs and replacements can be expedited and made less costly. Further, this would be an incentive for residents to make necessary repairs and improvements to their homes, while adding value to their community as a whole. Due to the work being less cost prohibitive on the administrative side."

Bob Worthington

"This week’s question really hits home. Recently, my wife and I had 10 windows replaced in our home. The permit fee was $93.00, which was based on the estimated value of the windows and labor to install them. After new windows, we had vinyl siding, soffit and fascia put on our home. Again the City of Gulfport permit fee was $95.00 plus an additional $18 for a County Recording Fee.

I also know the other side of the story, which is, the State of Florida requires Counties and Municipal Governments to provide Building Department Services to its residents. The cost of this service is required to be passed on the user of the service – people like you and me who take pride in fixing up our properties and enhancing the quality of our neighborhoods and our lives. 

I would be interested in studying the fees that the City charges compared to the fees that a few other municipalities and Counties charge for the exact same services/permits to see where our permitting fees stand compared to others. If our fees were lower, I could see keeping them the same, but if they were higher, I could also see realigning them to be more cost effective to the property owner."

For More Information:

The municipal elections are on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The mayor serves a three-year term. The voter registration deadline was Monday, February 11, 2013 for the next city elections.

For more information on how to register visit the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website.

Both candidates have set up Facebook Pages; here are the links:

• Sam Henderson for Mayor of Gulfport FL
• Bob Worthington for Mayor of Gulfport, Florida

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Do you want to submit a question for consideration in a future post? Email the Editor at Cherlene.Willis@patch.com.