County Administrator Jim Ley sent a letter to the Sarasota County Commission today outlining a number of ideas to jump-start the local economy.

“Ley pointed to the recently passed $1.4 billion sales tax, which includes funding for the construction of roads and public buildings as well as improvements to parks, public lands and economic development. These projects were originally slated for implementation over a 15-year period beginning in 2010. Ley wants to accelerate these and get the construction industry jump-started.”

Ley suggested getting up to $300 million of those projects under design or construction contracts “in the next 24 months,” adding “construction and materials costs are at their lowest in years and borrowing costs are low.”

In addition to the jobs it would create, it would help with the infrastructure which has been retarding some of the commercial development. The development would in turn create a more diverse tax base here in Sarasota and lessen the impact of lowered property taxes on residential property.

The lowered barriers to entry would hopefully help some of the smaller developers to push forward projects that would have otherwise been too daunting if they had to pay for road widening and/or extra water, sewer capacity.

All in all, it seems more prudent than the Bush Administration’s stimulus package and it would have a long-term benefot to Sarasota County and it’s commercial real estate development.