The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Hinman

Chili’s coming to former Johnny Carino’s site

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More chain restaurant options are coming to Wesley Chapel, not far from a new Walmart, where Chili’s Grill & Bar is expected to build a 6,090-square-foot location.

Brinker Florida Inc. is looking to build the new Chili’s at 28444 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, where the Johnny Carino’s restaurant was once located. Brinker is set to have its small commercial development plan approved by the Pasco County Development Review Committee on Sept. 11.

The 1.7 acres of land has been owned by CRC 204 LLC since 2007, a company connected to local Applebee’s franchise owner Franklin Carson of Tampa.

Once completed, this would become the fourth Chili’s location in the area. It would join restaurants at 22629 State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, 16420 State Road 54 in Odessa, and 17643 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in New Tampa.

Brinker International has been the owner of the Chili’s chain since 1983, and has more than 1,500 locations worldwide.

Also up for review by the Development Review Committee is a proposed Sherwin-Williams building materials store on the corner of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Old Pasco Road. Plans there are for a 4,550-square-foot paint store on 5.6 acres of land.

That land is currently owned by OP 54 LLC of Tampa, a company connected with Mitchell Rice, the chief executive of RMC Real Estate Services in Tampa.

This would be the third Sherwin-Williams location in the area, joining the store at 17331 Dona Michelle Drive in New Tampa, and 37136 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills. The chain, known for its paint, has more than 4,300 locations worldwide.

The county’s Development Review Committee is set to meet at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse on Sept. 11 at 1:30 p.m. The committee is led by Pasco County administrator Michele Baker.

Veterans lobbying for where in Pasco new VA clinic should go

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The men and women who have served our country during times of war, or in case of war, have been fighting a new conflict to ensure they have access to the federally provided health care they were promised.

But now part of that battle might turn into a turf war between the west and east sides of Pasco County.

Kathleen Fogarty, chief of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, shares some of the issues her facility has faced in recent months during a packed town hall meeting of veterans hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, right. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Kathleen Fogarty, chief of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, shares some of the issues her facility has faced in recent months during a packed town hall meeting of veterans hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, right.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Veterans gathered at the West Pasco Government Center last week to tell U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis where they want to build a new consolidated center made possible thanks to a Veterans Affairs bill signed by President Barack Obama last month.

The bill has set aside $1.3 billion to create or expand 27 VA clinics around the country, including Florida’s only new one — a planned 114,000-square-foot facility that would consolidate five existing locations on the west side of the county.

Many veterans have come to depend on having those centers in New Port Richey and Port Richey, and some are balking at the idea of moving the new consolidated center into Land O’ Lakes, or even into Zephyrhills or Dade City.

No plans have been finalized, or even proposed, on where this new facility would take place. But a majority of those speaking up last week were pushing for the government to take over the former Community Hospital campus in New Port Richey. That hospital shut down in 2012 after its owner, HCA Healthcare, opened the new Medical Center at Trinity on State Road 54 just east of Little Road.

But bringing that building up to the standards needed for a new VA clinic could be costly.

“We tried to get Community Hospital about seven years ago,” said one veteran, Paul Rizzo. “We met with the VA, and they turned us down, because they said the building was unsafe. It was only built for one floor, but it’s three floors.”

Despite that, Rizzo wants to have the new clinic there.

“I still say that Community Hospital is one of the best places that we could use,” he said. “It’s been standing there for 50 years now, so how is that unsafe? They say we need a complete overhaul of the building there, but what we really need is a complete overhaul of the VA.”

The Land O’ Lakes area has also been shared as a possible location for a new VA clinic, since it’s in central Pasco. However, east Pasco also remains on the radar simply because of the available land out there in case VA officials decide to build something new.

But getting out that way might create as many problems as simply going to the James Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, some say. Plus, a clinic already exists near Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. That facility will not be a part of the consolidation, officials said.

“Most people, especially disabled veterans, have financial problems, and transportation is a huge factor in their lives,” said Lauren Price, an Iraqi war veteran who is one of the founders of the VeteranWarriors advocacy group. “We have some limited mass transit here in West Pasco, and there is much more minimal mass transit that gets out to Trinity. And before someone offers all that real estate out in Dade City or Zephyrhills, I will remind them that the only mass transit out there are the mud swamp runs.”

Despite hosting the town hall, Bilirakis will have minimal input on where the new facility will be located, he said. That decision, instead, will rely on the VA department itself, which also will receive an additional $10 billion to outsource some of the care to private doctors when VA officials get behind. It also gives Robert McDonald, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, the power to remove senior executives not meeting expectations more easily than before.

Congress put the legislation in motion this past summer after a series of reports highlighting backlogs in service and other problems at VA hospitals around the country. A government investigation found some of those hospitals were guilty of flubbing appointment lists while supervisors turned a blind eye.

The report, however, said there was nothing connecting the delays created by that activity with preventable deaths.

But some of the veterans in New Port Richey still feel like they’ve been treated improperly by the system. However, James Haley VA Medical Center chief Kathleen Fogarty said many of the delays and problems experienced locally are from the sheer volume facilities like hers have taken on.

“I am very pleased to tell you that all of our clinics were audited, and we did not have any discrepancies in the scheduling,” Fogarty said. “But will I tell you that we don’t have any waiting lists? Absolutely not.”

That’s because her system handles 89,000 unique patients every year, she said. Haley has 4,000 patients a day, and conducts 42,000 consultations a month.

“I am very blessed to have the University of South Florida a bridge away from me,” Fogarty said. “They don’t have a hospital they use to train all of their doctors. We are the primary facility they use, which is a great thing for us because I think we get the best doctors out there.”

Besides where the new consolidated clinic should be located, the more than 100 veterans who attended also shared some of the services they’d like to see there. That includes urgent care, physical therapy, radiology, women’s care and greater access to dental, Bilirakis spokeswoman Summer Robertson said.

If any other veterans wants to express their preferences on where the clinic should go and what should be there, they can call Bilirakis’ office at (813) 501-4942, or send an email to the congressman through his website at Bilirakis.house.gov.

Published September 3, 2014

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Dwindling ranks of golfers handicap golf courses

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Golf courses are in trouble, and Florida — which boasts more golf courses than any other state in the nation — could be hit the hardest.

The latest to experience trouble is Scotland Yards Golf Club on U.S. 301 in Dade City. The bank that holds the mortgage on the course, First National Bank of Pasco, started foreclosure proceedings against the 100-acre course last month. However, course owner David Rinaldo says those problems look worse than they actually are.

Golf courses are a favorite pastime of many older players, but have not really attracted the younger generation. For golfers like Richard Buddy of Wesley Chapel, it might be harder to find golf courses in the future. (Courtesy of Ron Ludwin)
Golf courses are a favorite pastime of many older players, but have not really attracted the younger generation. For golfers like Richard Buddy of Wesley Chapel, it might be harder to find golf courses in the future.
(Courtesy of Ron Ludwin)

“The course has financial issues like every golf course in America,” Rinaldo told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “But it is not shutting down.”

Golf courses are suffering financially in different parts of the country, especially Florida, as interest in the sport wanes from its peak over the last few decades. Last year, 160 golf courses shut down in the nation, and 300 have closed in the last few years, the National Golf Foundation reported, according to published reports.

Florida has more than 1,200 courses, enough to have one course for every 16,000 people. That’s just too many for the market to sustain, one golf pro says, especially with other recreational activities that may be less time consuming and less expensive competing against the game.

“Golf was in its heyday 20 or 30 years ago, when that was the thing to do, both socially and sports wise,” said Laura Sanderson, a pro at Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club in Hudson. “Everyone built a bunch of golf courses because, back then, we could keep them full. But now people’s interests have changed, especially the younger generation. People just have better things to do with their time and money.”

The summer season hasn’t helped, when many seasonal residents are in their northern homes, and those remaining finding it too hot to hit the links. Even Meadow Oaks, which averages 275 golfers a day during the peak season, is seeing just a little more than 100 during the summer months.

But getting through those times means knowing that it’s coming, and being ready for it. Quail Hollow Golf Course in Wesley Chapel, for example, has focused on attracting a lot of non-golf events like motorcycle shows and big band performances, Sanderson said.

“You just have to take care of where you’re at,” said Nic Kalojiannis, one of the people in the ownership group that leases and manages Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club in Lutz. “We do a lot of weddings, sweet 16s, and golf tournaments. It’s a process as a whole that you need to have, just to try and get you through tough seasonal times. Like this year, it’s rained pretty much all day every day, it seems like.”

These events give exposure to the golf course, which is owned by the Heritage Harbor Community Development District.

“We’re out here on Lutz Lake Fern Road off of North Dale Mabry, and we have a beautiful sign and the upkeep is really nice,” Kalojiannis said. “But the clubhouse was built in the back, kind of off the beaten path. We always have people coming in to our events telling us they didn’t even know we were back here.”

Other courses, however, would likely struggle no matter what they tried to do. And all of that goes back to how golf courses were originally financed.

Mortgages — typically in the millions of dollars — were structured in a way that a course could pay its note and still make a profit by charging $70 a round, for example.

“People don’t have that kind of excess money anymore, or if they do, they are not really willing to put it toward golf,” Sanderson said.

Instead, many have to cut fees, and then find ways to save expenses. More often than not, golf courses choose to skimp on maintenance — which could drive away even more golfers, and make their financial situation worse.

Even after Plantation Palms Golf Club in Land O’ Lakes shut down in May, maintenance crews kept the course in mostly good shape. However, when the workers stopped coming, the course fell into disrepair.

“After a matter of a couple months of that, it becomes completely unplayable,” Sanderson said. “You’ll lose the greens, and it’s not that you can just go back and mow it. You’ll have to replace it, and that could cost you $1 million right there.”

Plantation Palms was put up for sale last month for $1.2 million, considerably down from the $2.2 million MJS Golf Club LLC paid for it in 2011.

Plantation Palms was one of many communities in the region, and in the country, anchored by golf courses. But that’s not happening anymore. Some homeowners in Plantation Palms complained about the loss of home value, and many golf course designers have turned to Europe and Asia to build new courses, not finding any market in the United States.

But is golf fighting for its life? Sanderson doesn’t think so. It’s more about “righting the ship.”

“Golf is still strong, we just have too much product out there, too many courses out there,” she said. “We definitely need to grow the industry from the standpoint of the younger generation, but we’re just shaking out some of the excess courses. The ones that survive are going to end up being good in the long run.”

Published September 3, 2014

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Pasco EDC honors local businesses for creating jobs

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One day nearly a decade ago, Marcus and Erin Meyer realized their dream of opening their own business, kickstarting Gator Cleaning Solutions out of their garage. Not long after, it would move to a new home the couple bought in Land O’ Lakes, before finally taking up 2,500 square feet of warehouse space in Odessa.

DataMentors LLC, one of the Pasco Economic Development Council Industry of the Year winners, has maintained strong employee retention by finding ways to keep them motivated. Here Brandon Magliano, left, gets ready to receive the ball from Michael Meyers during a table tennis game in the office while Michael Cajigas looks on. (Courtesy of Larisa Bedgood)
DataMentors LLC, one of the Pasco Economic Development Council Industry of the Year winners, has maintained strong employee retention by finding ways to keep them motivated. Here Brandon Magliano, left, gets ready to receive the ball from Michael Meyers during a table tennis game in the office while Michael Cajigas looks on.
(Courtesy of Larisa Bedgood)

They employ eight people in their corporate office, and more than 80 people on cleaning crews that now include restoration services, carpet and grout cleaning.

They have provided plenty of jobs in the cleaning industry, and because of that, they are one of eight companies honored by the Pasco County Economic Development Council at its Industry of the Year Awards at Saddlebrook Resort.

“The reason why we were nominated in the first place is because there was a lot of focus on job creation, which is great, because we’ve created a lot of jobs,” Erin Meyer said. “And we’re still growing. It’s exciting — a little nerve-wracking at times, but it’s fun. There are days I’m pulling my hair out, and days I’m doing a dance.”

Pasco EDC honored Gator Cleaning with one of two service and distribution awards, the second going to A&K Energy Conservation in Dade City. They both were chosen from more than 30 nominees, who were judged based on growth in areas like technology, innovation, job creation, capital investment and community service.

While some companies were born and grown up in Pasco, others were attracted by what the county had to offer and relocated here. DataMentors LLC started 15 years ago in Tampa, but relocated to Wesley Chapel seven years ago on land they purchased on Oak Myrtle Lane.

“It’s kind of nice looking out the window and seeing trees instead of concrete,” said Bob Orf, the chief executive of DataMentors, which was honored with the technology award Tuesday night. “We took a little bit of a risk when we bought the land. There was no road to it when we purchased the property. We were the first building in this area, and it’s worked out terrifically.”

DataMentors is a data management company that requires a secure location for its many servers. The company started with five employees, but now has 36, working in areas like programmers and technicians.

“We do a lot of recruiting right out of colleges like the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida,” Orf said. “There are not a lot of high-tech companies in Pasco, but you know, we’re happy to be here, and be one of the pioneers here.”

Half the employee base lives in Pasco, while the other half commutes in from Hillsborough County, Orf said. That’s great for him, however, because the “reverse commute” — driving in the opposite direction of rush-hour traffic — makes working in Pasco quite appealing.

“We don’t have a lot of turnover here,” he said. “Almost a third of our employees have been with us at least 10 years. And, you know, we try to do what’s right for our employees, because that’s a win-win for us.”

Other winners at the Pasco EDC event included:

• MedActive Oral Pharmaceuticals of Odessa won the new business award.
• Rochester Electro-Medical Inc., of Lutz, and Seaway Plastics Engineering Inc., of Port Richey, both won manufacturer of the year.
• Pasco-Hernando State College in New Port Richey was given the special contribution award.
• Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative of Shady Hills was given the special recognition award.

Published September 3, 2014

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Wells makes history with win, Moore ready for next stage

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The Pasco County Commission has had its share of lopsided victories in the last 30 or so years. But there’s never been one like the District 4 race last week between current commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., and Mike Wells Jr.

Last week’s primary election attracted less than 15 percent of registered voters. But that’s all that was needed to elect one county commissioner, and nominate another one for the November election. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Last week’s primary election attracted less than 15 percent of registered voters. But that’s all that was needed to elect one county commissioner, and nominate another one for the November election.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

More than 36 percentage points separated Wells from Wilson, the largest margin of victory since 2010 when Commissioner Pat Mulieri defeated independent candidate Clay Colson to keep her seat on District 2 by 40 percentage points.

Winners who pick up more than 60 percent of the vote in races typically are incumbents like Mulieri, who captured 61 percent of the vote in 1998, and 62 percent in 2002. But rarely, if ever, is the candidate who hits that milestone the challenger looking to unseat the incumbent.

Wilson won his seat in an upset win over Mike Cox in 2010, surprising nearly everyone with 52 percent of the vote. This time around, with most of the attention on the open seat left by Mulieri’s retirement in District 2, there was a question on whether or not Wilson would even be challenged by anyone else.

That is until early April when Wells, the son of former county commissioner and current county property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., decided it was time to run.

“We need leadership there, and we need it right now,” Wells told The Laker/Lutz News last month ahead of the primary. “We lost Ann Hildebrand on the commission a few years back, and now Ted Schrader says he is retiring in a couple years. Quite frankly, that creates a vacuum that needs to be fixed.”

Wells would take the seat with 68 percent of the vote, the biggest win of any commission candidate over an incumbent since at least 1980. The former Enterprise Rent-A-Car area manager and current real estate agent won every precinct in the county, and never trailed Wilson as the results were tabulated last week.

“When I started this journey very late into the campaign season, I did so because I wanted the opportunity to help as many people in Pasco County as I could,” Wells wrote on his Facebook page after the election. “So I went into the community and met with you. We met, we talked, you talked, and I listened. I’m still holding on to all of our conversations, and all of your stories.”

Because this seat was decided during primary season, Wilson will continue as a commissioner until November. He told The Laker/Lutz News that he will spend that time doing what he has done all along: serving the people of Pasco County, and “looking out for their best interests.”

“As far as my future, right now we are trusting God for what he has planned ahead of myself and my family, and am excited to see where that journey will take us.”

One other commission seat remains up for grabs, and that’s the one being vacated by Mulieri, who is retiring after 20 years. Mike Moore, who raised far more money than his opponents, took a first step toward that seat with a primary win.

“I am humbled by the support our campaign has received from so many people from across Pasco County,” Moore said. “I also deeply appreciate all the volunteers who have worked very hard toward our victory this evening.”

Moore won a little more than 50 percent of the vote in a campaign where he raised more than $100,000, and received support from outside political groups that purchased airtime on local television stations featuring Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Finishing as the runner-up for the second time in the primary is former state Rep. Ken Littlefield, who earned 28 percent of the vote.

“It was an impressive win by Mike Moore,” Littlefield said. “To prevail in a three-candidate primary with over 50 percent of the vote is a notable feat and deserves congratulations.”

Littlefield will continue to do what he has done the last five years, he said: “Get up early, put a tie on, and go work for Hodges Family Funeral Home.

“I enjoy the work, and at this time, have no plans to run for public office,” he said.

Bob Robertson, a financial analyst who lives in Lake Bernadette in Zephyrhills, left the door slightly more open for a possible future run.

“It was important to me to offer myself without accepting funds from anyone that might compromise me later,” he said. “Hopefully now, life returns to some sense of normal. As to future plans, impossible to know at this point.”

Moore now faces Erika Remsberg, who won the Democratic nomination for the District 2 commission seat without opposition.

Published September 3, 2014

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Business Digest 09-03-14

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Postiglione new COO at Gulfside
Kathleen Postiglione has been appointed the new chief operations officer and senior vice president of business development at Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care.

Postiglione will now oversee the clinical operations for Gulfside patients, which services residents of Pasco County.

Postiglione started working at Gulfside in 2004 as the director of nursing. She served as both vice president of operations and chief operations officer before her recent promotion.

Before working at Gulfside, Postiglione was the director of corporate compliance at Good Shepherd Hospice in Lakeland, and spend more than 15 years at AT&T’s Bell Laboratories as a member of the technical staff.

She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Holy Family University in Philadelphia, and her MBA with a focus on health care management from American InterContinental University in Illinois.

For information on Gulfside, call (800) 561-4883, or visit GHPPC.org.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Vernon Taylor
Vernon Taylor

Taylor joins Russell Adams Realty
Vernon Taylor has joined Russell Adams Realty Inc., as vice president of real estate services.

Taylor will be focused on company growth, training, legal and ethical compliance, news releases and general brokerage duties, assisting Russell Adams.

Taylor was president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors in 2010, and chaired its professional standards committee. He is the District 6 vice president for Florida Realtors, and is on the association’s board of directors.

Taylor has a master’s degree in education, is a licensed real estate school instructor, and teaches ethics among his various training programs.

To reach him, call (813) 949-3600.

Upcoming Rotary Club of Lutz meetings
The Rotary Club of Lutz meets every Tuesday at 7 a.m., at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Cost is $10 and includes a continental breakfast, juice and coffee. Visitors are welcome.

Upcoming speakers include:

• Sept. 9 — Suzanne Demers on chiropractic health

• Sept. 16 — Jessica Spencer on Amendment 2

• Sept. 23 — Dr. Paul Bowman on skin cancer prevention and treatment

• Sept. 30 — Kim Thompson on the secret behind nutrition labels

• Oct. 7 — Maj. Ruth VanDyke, an author discussing her book on women in the military

• Oct. 14 — Diane Kortus, president and owner of The Laker/Lutz News

• Oct. 21 — U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis

• Oct. 28 — Michael Walters on water management

• Nov. 4 — Byron Poore on what successful investing and salsa have in common

For information, call (813) 857-7089.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming speakers include:

• Retired pastor Fred Agnir, who also is an aspiring musician and author, Sept. 9

• George Swatzbaugh of Emerald Home Inspection Service LLC, Sept. 23

• Bob Hatfield from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ office, Oct. 14

• Jack Mariano, Pasco County commissioner, Oct. 28

Also, the group will have its early fall mixer Sept. 16.

Catholic Business Networking seeks members
The Catholic Business Networking group is looking for Catholic business owners, employees and supporters interested in joining it for regular meetings every Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes.

The group has annual dues of $60, and there is a minimum attendance requirement of two meetings per month.

For information, call (813) 833-4737, or visit CBNTampa.com.

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Vendors sought for business expo
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for vendors for its upcoming Community Business Expo, which will take place Nov. 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Dan Cannon Auditorium, 36722 State Road 52, in Dade City.

Vendor fees begin at $50 for chamber members, with bundle fees available for $150, which includes space at the expo plus a year membership with the chamber. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $500.

For information, call John Moors or Melody Floyd at (352) 567-3769, or email them at , or .

Wesley Chapel chamber heading to Tuscany
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day trip to Tuscany, Italy.

The trip is planned to begin Oct. 20, and space is limited.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

‘Dancing With Our Stars’ returns
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will once again host “Dancing With Our Stars,” with a performance scheduled for Oct. 18.

The chamber still has a few dance slots to fill, as well as a need for volunteers to help behind the scenes for the “stars” who will be trained by dance professionals to perform a short routine.

The overall winner will be based on monetary votes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting arts programs in the community.

To participate, volunteer or even sponsor, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

Political Agenda 09-03-14

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(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

A sign to vote
The primary election might be over, but those running for office in the November election will simply replace many signs like these with their own. The Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office said primary turnout was just under 15 percent last week.

Pasco housing committee to meet
Pasco County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will have its first meeting Sept. 15 beginning at 9 a.m., at the Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

For information, email .

Poll workers needed for November elections
Energetic? Service-oriented? Then the Pasco County supervisor of elections may be looking for you.

Poll workers are needed for the general election Nov. 4. Positions are paid, but potential candidates will need to be able to stand, bend, stoop, lift approximately 30 pounds, and have normal vision and manual and physical dexterity.

Applicants also need to write and read English, have an email address, and be able to work the entire day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All positions receive mandatory paid training the month preceding the election.

For information, call (800) 851-8754, or visit PascoVotes.com.

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours Sept. 9 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.

The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.

On election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.

In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.

Commission delays gas tax decision to Sept. 9

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In a meeting that lasted less than 20 minutes, the Pasco County Commission decided to push back its vote on whether to increase the local gas tax, increase property taxes, or both, during a special meeting Sept. 3.

Both county commissioners Pat Mulieri and Henry Wilson Jr., were absent from the meeting. Wilson was preparing for a funeral service later in the morning for his father, who passed away just ahead of the primary elections last week. Since an increase in the gas tax would require four votes in support, and only three commissioners present, the board instead elected to take up the issue again Sept. 9 in Dade City.

Although the meeting was short, the commissioners did approve maintaining stormwater management fees as well as tipping fees and solid waste disposal rates at the same level as previous years. However, a decision to impose a $1.3 million assessment onto the Fox Ridge subdivision in Zephyrhills was delayed until Sept. 9 as well, so that Mulieri — who represents the district — could be present.

The commission has the option to increase the gas tax up to 5 cents per gallon, which would generate more than $8 million needed for road construction projects. Without that, the other primary option is through a property tax increase.

Each penny of gas tax is expected to generate $1.6 million each year, according to an internal county report. A full gas tax could, however, cost $37.50 more per year for driver, or a little more than $3 per month.

Raising property taxes, however, could have a larger impact to businesses than a fuel tax, according to an internal report. While a 5-cent gas tax would increase costs to a small business owner by $250, raising property taxes instead to hit that $8.07 million mark would cost small businesses $478. That is based on a small manufacturing business with $200,000 property value and $1 million tangible property value.

However, the impact to the average homeowner for a property tax increase would be just under $20 a year for the full $8 million, assessed at homes with $100,000 in appraised value and $50,000 in homestead exemptions.

The meeting Sept. 9 in Dade City is expected to start at 1:30 p.m.

It’s gas tax decision day Sept. 3

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Pasco County commissioners are up against a self-imposed deadline Wednesday where they will have to decide how they are going to fund a needed $8 million for road construction projects in the county.

And while there are really only three primary options on the table — the decision is not expected to be an easy one.

County budget director Annette Stahura is set to present those three options and any others commissioners bring up during what is expected to be a shorter-than-usual meeting in New Port Richey. Commissioners are being asked to either increase local gasoline taxes up to a nickel per gallon, increase property tax rates, or a combination of the two.

Increasing the gas tax is going to be the most difficult way to go, however, with four of the five commissioners needed to approve it. Outgoing commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., has already said he would continue his position from last year and not support increasing the gas tax, while commission chair Jack Mariano has been on the fence, but leaning against the gas tax.

Boosting property taxes, however, only requires three votes, although Commissioner Ted Schrader has said he is against increasing that tax to pay for new roads as long as the gas tax option is available.

Proponents of the gas tax say many consumers may not even feel it. Neighboring counties, they say, increased their gas taxes in recent years, and few of the gas stations actually passed that extra cost on to consumers, members of the county staff said. Those same proponents also discount the impact to businesses and such that need large amounts of fuel, since diesel fuel would not be levied the additional tax.

Those against the gas tax, however, say that there are no guarantees that gas stations won’t increase gas prices to compensate for the additional tax, and that the cost to consumers — including businesses who require large amounts of fuel — is unnecessary.

Each penny of gas tax is expected to generate $1.6 million each year, according to an internal county report. A full gas tax could, however, cost $37.50 more per year for driver, or a little more than $3 per month.

Raising property taxes, however, could have a larger impact to businesses than a fuel tax, according to an internal report. While a 5-cent gas tax would increase costs to small business owner by $250, raising property taxes instead to hit that $8.07 million mark would cost small businesses $478.That is based on a small manufacturing business with $200,000 property value and $1 million tangible property value.

However, the impact to the average homeowner for a property tax increase would be just under $20 a year for the full $8 million, assessed at homes with $100,000 in appraised value and $50,000 in homestead exemptions.

If the commission can’t come to a decision on how to raise the $8 million, seven short-term projects would be delayed up to 10 years. They include:

• Construction of Bell Lake Road from U.S. 41 to Alpine Road — moved from 2015 to 2017

• Right-of-way acquisition to expand DeCubellis Road from two lanes to four lanes from Little Road to Starkey Boulevard — moved from 2017 to 2019

• Creation of an automated traffic management system on County Road 54 and State Road 54 from Progress Parkway to Curley Road — moved from 2017 to 2025

• Right-of-way acquisition to expand County Road 54 from two lanes to four lanes from State Road 54/56 to Progress Parkway — moved from a one-year project to a five-year project.

• Creation of an automated traffic management system on Little Road from Embassy Boulevard to Star Trail — moved from 2018 to 2027.

• Right-of-way acquisition to expand Moon Lake Road from two lanes to four lanes from DeCubellis Road to State Road 52 — moved from a five-year project to a nine year project.

• Construction of Starkey Boulevard from River Crossing Boulevard to DeCubellis Road — moved from 2018 to 2020.

Projects that would be completely moved out of the 15-year plan and placed in limbo include:

• Chancey Parkway from Fox Ridge to Morris Bridge roads
• Collier Parkway from Parkway Boulevard to Ehren Cutoff
• County Line Road North from East Road to Springtime Street
• Moon Lake Road from DeCubellis Road to State Road 52
• Ridge Road extension from Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
• Expanding Trinity Boulevard to four lanes from Little Road to State Road 54
• Twenty Mile Level Road from State Road 54 to Collier Parkway
• Two phases of the Zephyrhills Bypass extension, from River Glen Boulevard to Dean Dairy Road

The meeting is set to begin at 9 a.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

Demand for gas is dropping, taking prices with it

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In any given day in the United States, drivers pump 369 million gallons of gasoline into their vehicles, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. If cars could travel in space, and get 20 miles per gallon, that would be enough to travel to the moon and back — more than 15,000 times.

A lot goes into the price of a gallon of gasoline, right down to how much fuel consumers are buying versus how much is being produced. Yet, the reason why gas typically gets more expensive the further inland one gets is actually much more simple: How expensive it is to transport the fuel there. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
A lot goes into the price of a gallon of gasoline, right down to how much fuel consumers are buying versus how much is being produced. Yet, the reason why gas typically gets more expensive the further inland one gets is actually much more simple: How expensive it is to transport the fuel there.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Since 1990, the price of gas has skyrocketed 184 percent, from a national average of $1.24, to today’s $3.52, according to federal data. Yet, consumption remains brisk, even if actual volume is down. That’s thanks to better fuel efficiency, and the advent of hybrids and electric cars.

Labor Day is a busy weekend for gas stations as many families choose to travel by car to small vacation spots away from home. Typically, that kind of demand would push prices higher. But this year might be a little different, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins says.

“The demand is higher, and you’ll see prices inch up a little bit,” he said. “And if it does, you won’t have to wait long for it to fall right back where it was before.”

Still, gas prices this weekend are expected to be the lowest in four years, and Jenkins believes a gallon of gas could fall below the $3 mark for the first time since the end of 2010.

That might be perfect timing for Pasco County commissioners, who will spend September debating on whether they should increase local gas taxes by a nickel to help pay for much-needed new roads in the county. Their biggest concern is having that extra tax passed on to the customer. But it might be hard to notice in a county where the difference in gas price from one side to the other is nearly 25 cents per gallon.

On Sunday, New Port Richey had one station offering fuel for $3.01, and many others well below $3.10, according to GasBuddy.com. However, by the time a driver reaches Wesley Chapel, the best she might find is $3.14 at a Sam’s Club.

And forget Zephyrhills. The cheapest there was $3.25 at a Marathon station just outside of Wesley Chapel.

Why? It’s all about logistics, Jenkins said.

“There are a lot of variables that goes into how much gas costs, but one of them is quite simply their distance from supply,” he said. “Gas is usually tankered in from the ports, and the further they have to go, the more it might cost in the end.”

If most of central Florida’s fuel is shipped into Tampa’s ports, then places like Lakeland and even Orlando should be sky-high when it comes to gas prices. But it’s not, Jenkins said, because underground pipes sends thousands of gallons of fuel each day across the state from Tampa’s ports directly into the area’s home of Mickey Mouse.

“You also have to consider retail competition,” he said. “If you’re in an area where there are fewer gas stations, your prices are going to be a little higher because there is less competition.”

Looking beyond the pump
Gas is big business nearly anywhere there are cars and roads, but stations themselves aren’t really making a killing when it comes to profits. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for every dollar spent in gas, 13 cents go to taxes, 8 cents to distribution and marketing, 14 cents to refining, and 65 cents goes straight back to the companies that supply the gas in the first place.

The typical gas station may tack on a few pennies more for its own profit, but it usually has the smallest impact. Instead, these stations make their money by getting people inside their convenience stores, earning a much higher profit margin from drinks, snacks and tobacco products than they could ever see at the pump.

Wawa, the Pennsylvania-based chain that has opened dozens of locations in the Tampa Bay area over the past year, uses fresh food to get drivers through its doors. One of the longtime area brands it competes with is Atlanta-based RaceTrac, which might not offer made-to-order subs, but is not shy about helping its customers wake up in the morning. The stores offer an expanded coffee bar with six flavors, as well as prepackaged sandwiches and salads, company spokeswoman Ashleigh Collins said.

Collins wouldn’t say how much importance RaceTrac puts on attracting customers inside the store from the pumps, but touts the fact it’s a “one-stop shop” for customers who want to fuel up, stock up, or both.

“For the most part, gas stations are using gas as a conduit to get you inside their convenience stores,” Jenkins said. “Whatever they are offering in their store, that is basically their lifeline. And for the most part, the gasoline they offer is just a means of getting consumers into the door.”

Gas prices have been dropping for nearly two months, but the market’s bottom is quickly approaching, Jenkins said. In just a few weeks, refineries will start switching from its summer blend, and the changeover will wreak enough market havoc to kick up prices.

“We could see prices jump in September, and continue that way through the rest of the fall,” he said. “But this hasn’t really been the typical year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot more happy people at the pump by the end of the year because of where prices might end up.”

Florida’s price at the pump:
Sept. 2003 – $1.74
April 2004 – $1.85
Jan. 2005 – $1.92
Oct. 2006 – $2.39
Feb. 2007 – $2.24
Nov. 2008 – $2.47
May 2009 – $2.13
April 2010 – $2.88
Sept. 2011 – $3.66
July 2012 – $3.26
March 2013 – $3.88
Aug. 2014 – $3.49
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Published August 27, 2014

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