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It's rare that Lee County commissioners get a chance to please everybody.

They won't pull it off if they consider cutting property tax rates across the board next month.

That's because one of the county's most publicly supported taxes for a land acquisition program is also on the chopping block.

When the county manager, Don Stilwell, releases recommendations for property tax rate decreases next week, Conservation 2020 will be on the list, said Pete Winton, assistant county manager. It is still being determined how much to reduce the rates of six property taxes paid by most homeowners in Lee, Winton said.

With property values expected to soar by nearly 40 percent during the 2006-07 fiscal year, commissioners have a lot of room to cut.

Revenues for the Conservation 2020 program would increase even if commissioners approve a tax rate cut, Winton said.

"What we are saying is, 'How much more are they going to be?'" he said.

If commissioners do nothing to six of the rates paid by most of the residents in Lee County, revenues will increase by more than $143 million. Revenues for the Conservation 2020 program, which raised more than $30 million last year, will increase by more than $12 million.

The county manager will recommend tax rate reductions in three areas paid by all of the county: The general fund, the capital improvement fund and Conservation 2020. Commissioners also will consider lowering three tax rates paid by homeowners in unincorporated parts of the county and some cities: library; all hazards, which pays for hurricane preparedness, response and shelters; and the unincorporated Municipal Services Taxing Benefit Unit.

With the rising cost of land and open space disappearing by the minute in Lee County, now is not the time to cut Conservation 2020, said Bill Hammond, vice chairman of the committee which oversees the program.

In fact, this year may be the ideal time to buy vacant property because real estate prices are starting to level off and land owners are more willing to sell, Hammond said.

"A lot of people were not willing to sell because they had huge speculative dreams," he said. "Reality is now starting to set in that those were overblown expectations."

Conservation 2020 is one of the most successful land acquisition programs in the state.

Since the program started in 1996 with a public vote, the county has purchased 66 properties, totaling 11,810 acres, for $86 million.

Commissioners will use funds from the program to buy more than 5,600 acres of Babcock Ranch in Lee County.

The program received overwhelming public support when it was up for reconsideration in 2003.

"It's more important than ever to be able to continue to purchase more property before we are wall-to-wall high-rises and development," said Marti Daltry, president of Riverwatch, a Caloosahatchee River citizen association. "I wish there were ways to increase the tax rate rather than reduce it."

The county spent the past 10 years acquiring property for preservation and now will need considerable funding to maintain it, including the removal of exotic species, said Phil Buchanan a retired Lee County resident who is trying to build public opposition to a tax-rate reduction.

"If they cut back now, then they will cut out the management," Buchanan said. The management aspect will help make the land accessible to the public, he said.

Commissioners will review the county manager's recommendations during their board meeting on Aug. 1.

At that time, they can chose to lower property tax rates or wait until after public budget hearings on Sept. 7 and 21.

At least one commissioner said he already knows where he stands.

"With the explosive growth and development that Lee County continues to experience, it is absolutely vital that we have a fully funded program to continue to acquire land and protect our natural resources," commissioner Ray Judah said. "The price of land is still at the point that we need every dollar to be competitive enough with our foot in the race with the development community."