Lee County's recent decision regarding Boca Grande's iguana problem has caught the attention of more than just islanders. Charlotte County Commissioner Tom Moore said that members of the Boca Grande Street and Drainage Maintenance committee discussed the actions just taken by Lee County at their March 15 meeting.

Taking Lee County's lead, Charlotte County is considering expanding the existing Street and Drainage Maintenance MSBU to fund iguana control. "We can adjust the scope," Moore said. "If the people of Charlotte County want to fund this through MSBU, we can do it."

At a hearing of the Lee County Commissioners on March 14, the commissioners voted unanimously to expand a special taxing district, or MSTU, to fund iguana control in the Lee County portion of Boca Grande, despite the vocal opposition of many island residents who made the trip to Fort Myers for the hearing.

An MSTU, or Municipal Services Taxing Unit, uses revenue derived from ad valorem (value) taxes to fund its projects, projects that benefit a particular area.

Many of the Boca Grande residents who spoke out against the taxing district at the Lee County hearing said that iguana control is not simply a Boca Grande problem, but affects the entire region since the invasive exotic species has spread to neighboring areas. Iguanas have been spotted on nearby barrier islands and in mainland areas of Lee and Charlotte County. Due to this, and the related health and environmental problems linked to the reptile, many residents believe that Lee County, and not Boca Grande property owners, should fund the eradication of the iguana.

In contrast, an MSBU, like the one proposed by Charlotte County, is a Municipal Services Benefit Unit. The main difference is that its revenue comes from non-ad valorem (non-value) assessments. For instance, the annual cost of the program is divided by the total number of equivalent residential units. A single residential lot is often defined as one ERU. Like the MSTU, the work performed by the MSBU benefits a particular area.

Both MSTUs and MSBUs are governed by a volunteer Advisory Committee, whose members are appointed by the board of county commissioners. Charlotte County stipulates that members must be property owners residing within the unit who would pay an assessment or tax to the unit.

Moore said that there are no specific meetings set up yet to address the possibility of expanding the MSBU to include iguana control. However, "We are trying to put together an outline of a plan of action," Moore said. "It's so early in the game."