More jobs on the way to Collier County

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.- More jobs are coming to Southwest Florida and they’re all within Collier County government.

WINK News is told its the largest one-time hiring for the county since the recession.

It’s easy to see with all the housing construction, restaurants and stores coming into town; Collier County is growing.

“We are the fastest growing county/municipal area in the country,” said Deputy County Manager Nick Casalanguida.

In the past two years, the county has seen an 86 percent increase in the number of building permits it issues each month.

To keep up with the massive growth, Collier County government needs to hire more employees. Commissioners just gave permission to fill 64 jobs.

“Across the board. Administrative support in terms of it, front end staffers on the ground, in the parks department, people in budget, people in public utilities managing water and sewer systems,” said Casalanguida.

The cost of the additional employees totals almost $4 million. But, because housing prices have continued to climb, the taxable value is up too. Commissioners say they will not have to increase taxes next year.

Even with the new positions, the 1,800 person government is still not back to pre-recession levels.

“We’re still a couple hundred short on that. It’s slowing capturing back a little bit at a time.

Hiring for the positions will start in the fall.