PORT ST. LUCIE \u2014 The city of Port St. Lucie will host a series of free public informational sessions beginning Sept. 1 to discuss the proposed city budget and several initiatives that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.<\/p>\n
The Community Conversations sessions will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on various Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of October at locations throughout the city.<\/p>\n
Topics will include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Proposed city budget: The city\u2019s proposed budget is scheduled for adoption at the end of September.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Amendment 3: The proposed constitutional amendment would, if approved by at least 60% of Florida voters, increase the homestead property tax exemption for certain non-school taxes.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Half-cent sales tax: St. Lucie County voters will consider whether to renew the existing half-cent sales tax, which provides funding for infrastructure projects. Voters approved the tax in 2018, and it is scheduled to expire in 2028.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Trash pickup: A nonbinding straw poll will ask Port St. Lucie residents whether they would support increasing residential trash pickup from once a week to twice a week for an additional fee.<\/p>\n
The Community Conversations series is intended to provide residents with information about the issues and upcoming decisions while giving them an opportunity to ask questions and provide input.<\/p>\n
The city has more than 260,000 residents and covers about 120 square miles in St. Lucie County.<\/p>\n
A complete schedule of sessions, locations and RSVP information is available at link.cityofpsl.com\/communityconversations<\/a>.<\/p>\n