As usual, he began the session with a series of surveys to determine the make up of the audience, with most claiming to be “moderates” when it came to political outlook. Although most of the attendees were from the Sebring area, there also were residents from Avon Park, Lake Placid and other areas in the county.
It appeared that the audience was trending away from legacy media for their news information. Many said they were looking to social media and the internet, as opposed to local newspaper or radio accounts.
Topics of Discussion
During the two and a half hour session, Elwell touched on four major topics. How to generate additional revenue for county government, trash collection and recycling, road construction and economic development.
Government Revenue
In his power point presentation, Elwell pointed to dwindling county revenues and a “…serious crisis coming.” He did not elaborate on the pending crisis. Elwell did point to the possibility of enacting impact fees, taxing units, user fees and other ways of raising additional funds for county government. There seemed to be little interest in forming a local Division of Government Efficiency to look at ways to curb government spending.
Trash Collection +
When it came to trash collection and recycling. Elwell hinted at a pending increase in fees, when a nwe contract will be sought. Current hauler Waste Connections’ contract will come to a close in 2026. He also outlined Highlands County’s recycling program, asking if the county should return to curbside pickup and transition away from the current recycling drop-off stations in Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid.
Road Projects
Elwell also gave an update on pending road projects such as repair, widening, and reconstruction. Included in the slide presentation were both local projects and state initiatives to improve current roadways throughout the county. Locally, the list included short spans of county maintained surface roads. The largest single project appeared to be the widening of the intersection of Sparrow Road and US Highway 27 at Lakeshore Mall.
Statewide roadwork centered in on current and planned projects on State Road 64, US Highway 27, US Highway 98 and State Road 70. In his remarks, Elwell noted dwindling revenues from the state and local gas taxes to fund such work.
Economic Development
The final topic of discussion was economic development. In a series of slides, he noted numerous pending and completed projects in and around Avon Park, Sebring, Lake Placid, Spring Lake as well as Lakeshore Mall. He contended that Spring Lake development could lead the way in new construction in the county. On several occasions, he hinted at some major companies that possibly might be locating here, but stopped short of mentioning any specific names.
The Next Session
Elwell had slated the Thursday night meeting to go only two hours. However, it was bogged down at several points due to questions from the audience. The commissioner was backed up by county staff members, who were sprinkled through the auditorium. In the past, they had been placed at a table at the front of the room to answer questions directly.
The next meeting is planned for July, where Elwell said he would outline the tentative budget for 2025-2026.
