Another effort is being made to make Lehigh Acres an independent municipality. A feasibility study will be conducted to gauge whether or not the growing community will be able to sustain it's own government.
The BMJ Consulting Firm based in Fort Myers will be conducting the study. President, Joe Mazurkiewicz, told Four In Your Corner this is the third feasibility study they have been asked to complete.
"The study doesn't contemplate any new revenues, or any new services. It's status quo," said Mazurkiewicz.
Lehigh Acres resident voted against incorporation twice in the past, once in 2008 and 1996. Residents were mainly concerned with a possible tax increase.
Mazurkiewicz says there likely will not be a tax burden on residents, if new public services, such as a police department are not added. However, tax payers may have to cover the costs of maintenance for several damaged residential roads that aren't up to county code.
"How many of those roads are still there; what it would cost per year to start to a maintenance program for them, that could be a bit of a unfounded liability," said Mazurkiewicz.
The study will be conducted in three phases.
