Winter 2021 Newsletter

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEE COUNTY

Lee County is located on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Southwest Flori- da, and was founded on May 13, 1887, gaining independence from Monroe County by act of legislature. Lee County, and Fort Myers as the county seat, has a rich and storied history. Dating back to the early 1500s, it is believed that the county’s barrier islands were among the many stops made by Ponce de Leon as he explored Florida’s Gulf Coast. In the early 1700s, the Lee Island coastline first appeared with some accuracy on British maps.

In 1821, Florida became a U.S. Territory, and by 1885, Fort Myers was the second largest

Hon. Kenneth Wilkinson, CFA

Property Appraiser

town on Florida’s Gulf Coast. That same year, Thomas Edi- son visited the village while cruising Florida’s west coast. Captivated with what he saw, Edison built his home and la- boratory, Seminole Lodge, on the banks of the Caloosa- hatchee River. He subsequently became Fort Myers’ most famous resident, and a strong force in its growth and devel- opment. In 1914, Henry Ford’s family first visited the Edi- son’s at their winter home. In 1916, they became neighbors when Ford purchased the property next door, The Mangoes. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe visit Fort Myers to see the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

Lee County's 811 square miles comprises 590 miles of coast- line, over 100 pristine barrier and coastal islands, 50 miles of white sandy beaches, and in Cape Coral, over 400 miles of canals; more than any other city in the world. Lee County’s natural beauty and unique attributes makes tourism a lead- ing industry, paving the way for five (5) million visitors annu- ally.

Lee County is not only a popular destination for tourists, but continues to be a much-desired destination for relocation. Ranking eighth (8th) in Florida, in terms of population, over 730,000 people call it home. Accord-

ing to 2019 U.S. Census numbers, the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area alone has one of the nation’s highest rates of population growth, seeing a rise of 22% between the years of 2010 to 2018. That puts the area in seventh (7th) place when it comes to the nation’s fastest grow- ing metropolitan areas.

Real Property Parcels

553,491

Tangible Accounts

90,393

Total Just Value

$121,864,700,387

Total Taxable Value

$89,314,624,576

Employees

76

6

Winter 2020 Newsletter of the FCIAAO