2014 Spring Newsletter

COUNTYSPOTLIGHT:DESOTOCOUNTY

DeSotoCounty is located inFlorida’sHeartlandalong thePeaceRiver andUSHighway 17. It isnamed for theSpanishexplorerHernando DeSotoandwas created fromManateeCounty in 1887. Until1921De- Sotowasoneofthe largestcounties inthestate,butresidentscomplainedof thevastdistancesbetweenhomeandcourthouseand itwassubdividedto createHardee,Charlotte,Highlands,andGladesCounties. TheoriginalDeSotoCountyseat,whichhadalsoservedManateeCounty since 1866,was locatedat PineLevel. Eventuallyanew county seat was createdat "TaterHill Bluff,"whichwas later renamedArcadia in 1888. Arcadia isthesolemunicipality inDeSotoCountyand isfamedfor itsan- tiqueshopping.Otherunincorporatedsettlements includeBrownville, Cubitis,Limestone,Nocatee,HullandFortOgden.

www.discoverdesoto.org

Arcadia isalso thehomeof theoldest rodeoorganization in theStateofFlor- ida.TheArcadiaAll-FloridaChampionshipRodeobeganback in themiddleof 1928when theAmericanLegionwanted toraisemoney tohelppay foranew building.A local businessman,whowasamemberof theAmericanLegion, askedaprominent rancher (ZebParker) if a rodeocouldbeheld to raise money.Mr. Parkeragreed it couldbedoneandoffered to furnish thestock for free. Inpreparation for thisevent, special arrangementsweremade tobring ina groupofSeminole Indians.TheAmericanLegionand theLion'sClubvolun- teered tosponsor aparade. TheGovernorof Florida,DoyleE. Carlton, noti- fiedofficialshewouldbeattending therodeoand theWauchulabandprovided themusic.The first rodeowasagreat successandcontinues toprovideawin- dow intoDeSotoCounty’srichheritageof agriculture.

DeSotoCounty’seconomy issustainedprimarily fromagri- culturalbusinesses.Citrus, cattleranching,andotheragriculturalusescontinue to comprisea largeportionof the tax roll.Themost recent substantial change in the tax roll occurred in2010with theadditionofa25megawatt solarphotovoltaic plant,which isoneof the largest in theUnitedStates.

2013PreliminaryTaxRoll At-AGlance Real PropertyParcels 20,246

ParcelswithAgClass

3,195

TangibleAccounts

5,343

Just (Market) Value

$3,131,776,197

TaxableValue

$1,397,632,981

Hon.NewtKeenwas first elected in 1988|Number of Employees: 9|www.desotopa.com

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Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO