The planned Sarasota County library on Longboat Key's Town Center Green has its construction money lined up. The county's $11 million share was set aside for design and construction, and the town and the Longboat Key Foundation raised $3.8 million more for the expanded community space. What puts it at risk is the cost of running it once it opens. The open question is whether Sarasota County commits to paying more than $1 million a year to staff and run it. That money comes from the county's general fund, which is fed by property taxes, and the statewide Amendment 3 vote on November 3 would change that fund.
Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman told town commissioners on September 14 that the county "has made it very clear because of the magnitude of the impacts of Amendment 3 they will not be constructing a library on Longboat Key at this time if Amendment 3 passes." He said the county is still moving ahead with design, permitting and the land use amendment "as if nothing is changing." So work continues on two tracks at once, and the next few weeks on the island's calendar line up with both.
Where the Construction Money Comes From
The Observer puts the library at $13.5 million in total. The same article lists funding pieces that add up to $14.8 million, and it doesn't explain the difference. Each source of money serves a different purpose:
- $1 million in Sarasota County funding for design. In June, the county's Director of Capital Projects, Carolyn Eastwood, told commissioners the library had reached the 70% design stage and that design work would continue to completion.
- $10 million in county funding for construction. The Observer reports that the $11 million core library is paid for with library impact fees, which are kept separate from the general fund.
- $3.8 million raised locally. The town and the Longboat Key Foundation raised this money to expand the building into event space. It includes a $1 million pledge from U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, and the Observer reported on September 20 that the county had already received $1.6 million of it.
The design comes from Orlando's Borelli + Partners, and Jon F. Swift Inc. is the construction manager. The community's money shows up in the floor plan. Brad Gaubatz, Sarasota County's Facilities, Parks and Recreation Manager, described an enlarged community room that seats 200, large "sitting steps" for reading and a covered outdoor terrace facing the Town Green.
Former Town Manager Howard Tipton said that if Amendment 3 passes, "then we'll have to figure out how to refund the money that's been raised." In June, a county spokesperson said contributions would be returned to donors if the project does not go forward.
The Cost That Starts After Opening Day
County commissioners paused over operating costs, not construction. The topic came up at a June 17 budget workshop, during a broader review of planned projects that will need yearly funding for staff, utilities and maintenance once they open. Deputy County Administrator Steve Botelho gave commissioners these estimates for running the Longboat Key library:
| Year | Estimated library operating cost |
|---|---|
| 2028, partial year | about $740,000 |
| 2029 | $1.1 million |
| 2031 | $1.4 million |
Compare those numbers with the county's own estimate of what Amendment 3 would do. Sarasota County puts the effect on county services at about $87 million in Fiscal Year 2029. The Observer reported that this equals 17% of the county's projected general fund for fiscal year 2027. The library's 2029 operating estimate is roughly 1.3% of that $87 million. The amount is small next to the shortfall. What matters is that it repeats every year, and it would start just as the general fund was getting smaller. The county's FAQ lists libraries along with public safety, EMS, parks, beaches and transit among the services that could be affected.
County Administrator Jonathan Lewis said the library would not come back before commissioners until after the election, so no final decision is needed yet. Among the projects in recent reporting, the Longboat Key library is the only one the county has been specifically reported as reconsidering.
What the Ballot Measure Changes
The Florida Division of Elections lists Amendment 3 under the title "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments." Here is what the summary says it would do:
- Raise the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments after that. School taxes are not included.
- Lower the cap on yearly assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10% to 5%.
- Limit property-tax revenue to listed uses, including public safety, schools, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee retirement, operations and administration.
- Give people who were not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 the existing exemption at first, with the increase starting in their fifth year of exemption.
The measure is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot and needs at least 60% of the vote to pass. If it passes, the amendment takes effect January 1, 2027. The state's official booklet has the full ballot text and financial impact statement for residents who want to read it.
Dates Between Now and Groundbreaking
The town and county are keeping the project moving while the vote is pending, so the schedule ahead is packed:
- October 5. The Town Commission's amended agenda calls for a first reading and public hearing on the library land use amendment, plus a site plan hearing. Staff recommend passing both and moving them forward. This comes after the Planning and Zoning Board's unanimous 6–0 recommendation on September 15. The applicant asked for a 12-foot side-yard setback, which is an 18-foot departure from the 30 feet normally required, and updated site plan materials were to go to the Town Commission. When this post was published, the result of the October 5 hearing had not been reported.
- October 6, 10 a.m. Sarasota County Libraries brings its Pop Stop Longboat Key visit to the island.
- October. The county planned to apply for building permits this month.
- November 2. Second hearings on the land use amendment and site plan come back to the Town Commission.
- November 3. Statewide general election, including Amendment 3.
- November 21, 5 to 8 p.m. Light Up Longboat on Town Center Green, with a tree lighting, music, food vendors and prizes. The town and the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce organize it, and the Garden Club is listed as presenter.
- March. Tipton said groundbreaking is scheduled for March. An earlier Observer report had forecast groundbreaking for early 2027.
The town's second vote on the plans comes the day before the statewide vote, and Light Up Longboat comes less than three weeks after the results are known.
The Green Is Already Waiting on This Building
The Green's own schedule already depends on this project. Town Center Green was built as a gathering place, with an event lawn, an oval walkway, a donor-funded outdoor stage and the Karon Family Pavilion. The Market on Longboat Key, a seasonal farmers market organized by Nancy Ambrose since 2022, was canceled for the 2025–26 season after she could not line up enough vendors. A town official said a market might come back after the library and community hall are built. In January, the town also said that leftover Complete the Green fundraising would support future arts and music programs at the Green. Some of the Green's future programming is planned around the 200-seat room and covered terrace.
In the meantime, the island has a library that has been open for decades. The Longboat Library at 555 Bay Isles Road has been running for nearly 70 years on volunteer work. It recently opened a refreshed reading room in a corner the town used to use for permitting. In April it offered memberships and a book-sale section. For a full county branch, Sarasota County's directory lists Gulf Gate Library at 7112 Curtiss Avenue and Selby Library at 1331 First Street, along with e-books and audiobooks through its digital library.
Whichever way the vote goes, the next decision is the county's. If Amendment 3 fails, the March groundbreaking is still on the calendar. If it passes, the county will decide after the election whether the more than $1 million a year it would cost to run the library still fits the budget.
Public projects like this one affect what a Longboat Key address looks like for years. If you own on the island and want to talk about how plans for Town Center Green fit into the timing of a sale, The Ackerman Group follows these decisions from hearing to groundbreaking and can help you plan around them.
