Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Pasco County Commission has tentatively approved an 8 percent property tax hike to help close its budget shortfall.

Commissioners avoided raising taxes last year, but further declining property value is cutting too far into the county’s revenue base.

Pasco is projecting a drop of $1.6 billion in taxable value for the 2012-13 fiscal year. County Budget Chief Mike Nurrenbrock said the increase will only go into place if the final property evaluations confirm that drop.

“If the value goes up a little bit, these millage rates will go down a little bit,” Nurrenbrock said. “We’re going to be using these rates in the proposed budget as we go forward.”

Nurrenbrock said the projections he has received show another decrease in value is likely. He added the county gets most of its revenue from property taxes.

In addition, the tax that funds the county’s fire rescue service will also increase by 8 percent. Nurrenbrock said citizens will pay $62.65 more for every $100,000 of taxable value, which is the worth of property minus the homestead exemption.

Including the projections for next year, the county has lost $13.2 billion in taxable value since 2009, according to Nurrenbrock. He added that figure is greater than the amount Pasco has spent on new construction projects during the last 25 years combined.

“We’ve cut from the budget the last few years to try and avoid tax increases,” Nurrenbrock said. “If the value drops again, a rate increase will be unavoidable.”

The budget chief said other rising costs, such as Medicaid and health insurance for employees, have added to the budget woes. Nurrenbrock estimates the county must spend $7.2 million more next year just to keep both expenses at their current level.

Commissioner Ted Schrader, whose District 1 covers East Pasco and northern parts of the county’s center, said a rollback across the board is likely because business owners will be unable to absorb the new rate.

“I don’t see how we’re going to be able to avoid the full rollback,” Schrader said. “It’s not a big increase if you focus solely on homesteaded properties, but you have to look at nonhomesteaded properties. They will pay significantly higher taxes.”

The commissioners will have several more budget meetings before setting its spending plan in late September.

By Kyle LoJacono

Property value is still dropping across the board in Hillsborough County, but recent projections paint a brighter picture for the five-year trend.

The county property appraiser’s office estimates a reduction of 2.6 percent from the previous year, the smallest drop since value started decreasing in 2008.

“It’s still falling, but you could say it’s good news because it’s slowed,” said Tim Wilmath, valuation director for the property appraiser.

Wilmath said that drop will equate a 2.3 percent reduction in taxable value, the amount an estate is appraised at after the homestead exemption is subtracted. He said that is good news for the county government, which draws most of its budget from such funds.

Wilmath stressed the numbers are projections to help the County Commission and school board weigh options to balance their budgets that go into place Oct. 1. The fiscal plans must be approved by the last week of September.

County-wide property value has dropped every year since 2008, down by $27.3 billon from its height in 2008. The largest reduction came in 2009, when Hillsborough homes lost 12.6 percent of their worth; falling $10.5 billion.

Wilmath said the slower drop is in no way an assurance the value has bottomed out, but added reduction rates tend to follow such a pattern before reversing.

“We are certainly hoping for that kind of news next year and the next several years,” said commission chairman Ken Hagan. “We’ve been working to do more with less the last five years and any kind of positive budget news is welcome.”

School district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe also views the tax value estimations as positive. She said if the estimations are correct, Hillsborough schools will see no budget cuts.

By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has approved a staffing plan that calls for cutting 125 positions as the district grapples with a $25 million shortfall.

Board members reluctantly went along with Superintendent Heather Fiorentino’s request for action on her plan, which includes 8,042 staffers, so the district can move ahead with payroll calculations as it works out its budget for next year.

However, board members made it plain that they may revise the action they took pending more information during budget talks this summer.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, assured the board the superintendent’s recommended cuts are not yet finished.

“We are not done,” Swinson said. “We will continue to look at positions. This is not all of the allocations that we will submit.”

Fiorentino also assured board members they will have the opportunity to make changes before a final budget is adopted. With a $25 million deficit, the superintendent said, “everything is up in the air.”

Summer Romagnoli, district spokeswoman, said it was important to take action so the district could notify affected employees before schools dismissed for summer.

While positions are being cut, that doesn’t translate into people being laid off because the district is shuffling employees to take on different roles. Other posts will be vacated because of retirements and resignations.

At the same time it is trimming positions, the district is adding 107 teachers in order for the district to meet the state’s mandatory class-size requirements.

Lynne Webb, president of United School Employees of Pasco, voiced her objections to the superintendent’s staffing plan.

“I do not feel these allocations go far enough,” Webb said.

During a budget workshop following the board meeting, Webb also objected to a proposal to cut four couriers from the district’s payroll. These employees transport mail and other documents within the school system. The district may outsource those duties.

Webb said she opposes outsourcing those services, noting the couriers have worked well, and they are transporting sensitive materials.

Board member Allen Altman also inquired about a plan to cut “paraprofessionals” who help in special education programs. They provide important services to teachers and students, Altman said.

The board was assured by Melissa Musselwhite, who oversees exceptional student education, that those cut positions were carefully selected to ensure classroom safety was preserved.

The budget cuts will also result in fewer elective choices for middle and high school students, said Tina Tiede, an assistant superintendent. As the district moves to meet the class-size requirements, it is shifting teachers into covering core curriculum courses, reducing the number of specialized courses it can offer.

Altman also noted that he’s begun receiving calls from literacy coaches who are concerned about potential cutbacks.

Twelve of the district’s 24 literacy coaches were eliminated, Romagnoli said. She added that those remaining will be shared between schools.

At the workshop following the meeting, board member Steve Luikart recommended cutting the number of transportation specialists from 22 to eight, which would be comparable to other counties and would yield about $750,000 in savings, he said.

Luikart also thinks the district should add five or six students to all bus routes that are not at 80 percent capacity. He estimates that would take between 40 and 60 school buses off the road, which could save up to $3.6 million.

Opponents vow to appeal

By B.C. Manion

Learning Gate Community School’s application for a new location near the intersection of US 41 and Sunset Lane in Lutz has received a go-ahead from a land-use hearing officer, but opponents vow to appeal.

Hillsborough Land Use Hearing Officer Steven Luce approved the request in a June 1 ruling, provided the applicant meets conditions recommended by the county’s development staff. Luce also added these conditions, requiring the applicant to:

—Restrict turns into the Sunset Lane entrance to right-in, right-out and left-out only.

—Design and construct a westbound right-turn lane on Sunset Lane into the site.

—Hook up to public sewer services, if available. Otherwise, the septic tanks must be located outside of the Northwest Hillsborough Wellfield Wellhead Resource Protection Area (WRPA) Zone 2.

Learning Gate has operated as a charter elementary and middle school. The proposed campus would allow Learning Gate Community School to extend its brand of education to kids in ninth through 12th grades, but the location has stirred considerable controversy.

Supporters want older children to have the opportunity to experience what they consider to be an excellent education.

Opponents say they don’t object to the school itself, only to its proposed location.

Roughly 50 people turned out to support the school’s request at the May 14 public hearing, while around 60 showed up to oppose it.

The plan calls for a number of small buildings to be scattered on the 62-acre site to provide classrooms, administrative offices, arts, agricultural and other programs.

The proposed Gates School will emphasize global awareness, arts and innovative thinking, technology and environmental sustainability, according to the school’s application.

At the public hearing on the request, Patti Girard, founder of Learning Gate Community School, said the site’s freshwater marshes, open lakes and uplands are uniquely suited for their brand of environmental education.

Neighbors to the proposed campus, however, don’t share that feeling.

They told the hearing officer they fear the school will disrupt their way of life. They envision jammed roads and overtaxed septic tanks. They are also worried about potential flooding and threats to their drinking water supplies.

Supporters of the new campus said the school has a stellar record of educational success and environmental awareness. They would like to see the school offer its brand to students through high school. They also said they think the school would have less of an impact on its neighbors than other types of development on the site.

Hillsborough County staff recommended approval of the request with conditions. Staff members from The Planning Commission said the application complies with the county’s comprehensive plan.

Mike White, who lives off of Sunset Lane, disagrees with the Planning Commission’s findings. He thinks the school campus is a flagrant violation of the intention of the Lutz Community Plan.

“The stated intent of the plan is to preserve and protect the unique characteristics of that community,” White said. “The plan that was developed to protect that community is being grossly, grossly misrepresented.”

White said the people who are supposed to protect community residents’ quality of life are being “grossly negligent in their job.”

Gil and Betty McGee have lived for two decades on a property approximately 100 feet from a road that would be built to access the school from US 41.

“I’m very disappointed in their decision,” Gil McGee said. “I don’t think they really listened much to the opponents of the school.”

Girard could not be reached for comment.

Luce’s June 1 ruling will stand, unless it is appealed within 30 days to the Land Use Appeals Board. White said opponents plan to appeal, but he would not disclose their timetable for doing so.

By B.C. Manion

Carly Patton was determined to do what she could to attain an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

She pursued her goal with a vengeance, but the Zephyrhills High graduate had a Plan B.

If the appointment didn’t come through, the 18-year-old said she intended to complete her first year of college on a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship and then apply for the military academy again.

Patton’s relentless focus doesn’t surprise Julie Moore, who has been the young woman’s guidance counselor for the past four years.

“You have kids who are driven and who do all of the things that you have to do, and then you have those students who just take it up a notch more. Carly has always been that way,” Moore said.

“When she started on this journey to be accepted at West Point, I really didn’t have any doubts that she was going to make it,” Moore continued. So, when she heard the news, she was elated for Patton, but “not particularly surprised.”

Patton is the first female from Zephyrhills High to receive an appointment to West Point, an opportunity the young woman said is valued at $450,000.

“It’s such a huge deal,” Moore said.

One of the things Moore most admires about Patton is her humility.

She quietly goes about achieving excellence, without drawing attention to herself, Moore said. The quality of her character is apparent, too, Moore added. “She’s got such a genuine personality. She’s somebody who is very authentic.”

Patton welcomes opportunities to grow, the guidance counselor said.

“I’ve always been very, very impressed by some of the choices she’s made while she’s been in high school,” Moore said. Besides completing three years of Spanish, for instance, Patton has taken two years of Chinese through an online course.

“It’s very unusual for a student to choose that course and do well,” Moore said.

Patton said she finds foreign cultures to be interesting, and she has an aptitude for different languages.

While she’s enjoyed Spanish and Chinese, she would have taken a broader array of foreign language courses if they had been available, Patton said. “I wish they had Arabic,” she said.

She thinks her interest in foreign cultures may stem from extensive travels she’s made related to her endeavors in judo. She’s gone to Costa Rica, Peru, Venezuela, Belgium, Hungary, Canada, Mexico and other places, too.

As she begins her new life at West Point on July 2, Patton said she’s not sure yet about her academic path. She can picture herself immersed in a career related to working in a foreign culture but also can envision a career in engineering.

Patton received her military academy appointment after being Congressman Rich Nugent’s principle nomination.

Each member of Congress gets 10 nominations, including one principle nominee, explained Patton, who also received a nomination from Sen. Marco Rubio and received a letter from Sen. Bill Nelson, who told her he would have nominated her if Rubio hadn’t done so. The senators do not nominate the same candidates, she explained.

Part of the process involves appearing before interview panels, Patton said. She went through two mock interview sessions to help calm her nerves before facing the real one.

When a candidate receives a principle nomination, he or she will receive an appointment provided they meet the academy’s other criteria, including physical fitness, standardized test requirements and the completion of three essays.

Patton began thinking about a military career before she began middle school.

“I have a lot of family in the military,” Patton said. “They started talking to me about the military when I was young, and I started thinking about it.

“When I got into ROTC here at the high school, it really kind of set in, that this is what I wanted to do,” continued Patton, who is the daughter of Rob and Amy Patton, of Zephyrhills.

She said her parents have been very supportive and she credits her mom, in particular, for helping her along the way.

As Patton heads off to her new life, she thinks the ROTC has prepared her for the military aspects she’ll encounter.

“We have to go through kind of a basic training,” Patton said. “I’m kind of nervous about that. But I think I’m prepared. It’s going to be hard, but I’m really excited.”

//Box

Other nominations

Area students who also received congressional nominations and were accepted to the following military academies:

U.S. Air Force Academy

Colin Lane of Odessa

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Samuel May of Lutz

Laurel Anne Ryback of Wesley Chapel

U.S. Military Academy

Leah Wasserman of Tampa

U.S. Naval Academy

Olivia Yeager of Lutz

Ian Keith McKenzie of Land O’ Lakes

By B.C. Manion

It came down to weighing the potential benefits against possible risks — and the pros of allowing cameras in school classrooms won the day.

Pasco County School Board members decided on June 5 the district’s code of student conduct should permit the use of cameras in classrooms, provided a school official grants permission.

The decision followed a debate led by board member Alison Crumbley, who expressed concerns that images captured in schools could be used for ill intent such as being posted in all the wrong places.

But other board members said the use of cameras can be beneficial to students, and they believe the district’s code of conduct adequately addresses the proper use of such devices.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said the use of cameras is appropriate in many cases. Students who are members of clubs, for example, may want to celebrate their successes by taking photographs of each other when they win awards, she said.

It may also be useful for students to take pictures of slides or diagrams posted by a teacher, rather than copying all of the information by hand, Armstrong said. In those cases, a click of a camera can allow students to quickly capture the subject matter, allowing them to focus on the teacher’s lesson.

Crumbley agreed those would be good uses, but wants to make sure it stays within that realm.

“We just don’t know where all of this is going,” Crumbley said. “I’m just visualizing this going places where you don’t want to go.”

Crumbley expressed concerns that students will post inappropriate photos on Facebook, or use images to bully others.

“I don’t want the litigation falling back on us,” Crumbley said.

Board member Steve Luikart said the district might see a number of disciplinary cases arising from improper camera use.

He also agreed with Crumbley: “I do think we have to watch out for bullying aspects,” Luikart said.

However, both he and Armstrong pointed to the provision in the code of conduct that states cameras cannot be used “unless the student is given explicit authority to do so by a school official.”

The code also says the principal or the principal’s designee shall determine the appropriate use.

The code spells out areas of the school where a camera should never be allowed, said Lizette Alexander, director of student services for Pasco County Schools. No cameras can be used in restrooms, locker rooms and clinics — which are areas where there’s an expectation of privacy, she said.

The code also forbids use of improper images that may have been gathered by prohibiting the “accessing, viewing, posting, forwarding, downloading or displaying any materials that are defamatory, abusive, obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, sexually suggestive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing and/or illegal.”

Board member Allen Altman said he understands Crumbley’s concerns.

“We can’t control Facebook,” Altman said.

He thinks the district should inform students that they can face serious repercussions, including expulsion, for any improper materials they post.

That warning, Altman said, needs to be spelled out in “big, bold letters.”

School board attorney Dennis Alfonso said the district’s policy attempts to draw the line between when camera use is appropriate and when it is not.

The question of allowing cameras in classrooms, he said, boils down to this: “Where is it that the board feels comfortable to draw the line?

“This is a difficult area for the board to regulate,” Alfonso added. “Everything is a slippery slope.”

But the attorney noted, the district’s code spells out restrictions and the district can enforce discipline against those who disregard its rules.

“There is some level of control — whether that is going to be enough, I can’t assume that,” Alfonso said.

LoJacono named Community News Publications’ editor

Kyle LoJacono was promoted to editor of The Laker/Lutz News on May 29. He has been with the publications since July 2009 when he started as a freelance correspondent.

LoJacono was brought on staff in October 2009 and has served as the publications’ sports editor since December 2010. He takes over for Cindy Spence, who is moving with her family to Gainesville after serving as editor since November.

“I’ve worked hard to make the sports section of my hometown paper one of the best in the state,” LoJacono said. “Cindy did an amazing job in her six months as editor making these papers better than ever before. I plan on building from that foundation she set.”

LoJacono is a 2009 graduate of Florida State University and has lived in Lutz since moving with his family from Buffalo, N.Y., when he was 4.

In another personnel move, Jeff Odom joined The Laker/Lutz News as a staff writer on June 11. He has spent the last seven months as a freelance correspondent for the publications.

“Jeff has done more than what’s been asked of him time and time again, and is the most enthusiastic young journalist I’ve met,” LoJacono said. “He will make a great addition to our staff, which I think is the best around including Community Editor B.C. Manion and artists Matt Mistretta and Stefanie Burlingame.”

Saint Leo University helps Habitat ReStore

Saint Leo University donated more than 60 rooms of furniture to Habitat for Humanity, providing seven truckloads of wardrobes, dressers, chairs, desks and twin-size mattresses.

The university provided so much furniture that the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Zephyrhills could not store it all in its warehouse and shared the bounty with other affiliates, including the Lakeland Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter.

Saint Leo University is renovating two residential buildings on campus, Alumni Hall and Roderick Hall, and has a long-standing relationship with Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County.

Asaftei joins Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

Laura Asaftei has been named administrative director of human resources for Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. She will handle a broad range of personnel duties.

Prior to joining the facility, she was the human resources director at Florida Hospital Carrollwood. She has been with the Adventist Health System for four years and was part of the human resources team that managed the merger with University Community Hospital in 2010.

She has a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern Adventist University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in public relations. She also has a Professional in Human Resources certification from the HR Certification Institute.

Gulfside’s community relations awarded

Gulfside Regional Hospice recently received three awards for its public relations and marketing efforts for its annual Hike for Hospice.

The awards were presented at the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Tampa Bay Chapter’s Local Image Awards Luncheon.

The awards Gulfside won were the Grand All Image Award, Image Award and Judges’ Award from FPRA Tampa Bay.

The Grand All Image Award is given to the best Image Award winning entry in the Public Relations Program Division. Gulfside also won the Image Award in the Special Events Category at the local awards and the Judges’ Awards, which is given to projects that demonstrate maximum results on a minimum budget.

Members of the Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter in Polk County judged the entries. Judges are accredited in public relations and are previous Image Award program winners.

Ryland Homes offers homes in Ashton Oaks

Ryland Homes has started sales of 43 new single family homes priced from $146,990 to $200,990 in the newest phase at Ashton Oaks, located on Ashton Oaks Boulevard off SR 54 in Wesley Chapel.

The three-, four- and five-bedroom homes range from 1,274 square feet to 2,259 square feet of living space.

Ashton Oaks also features a community pool and cabana. For more information, go to www.ryland.com/tampa.

Made in America contest

The National Mail Order Association is hosting a contest to give American manufacturers and inventors a chance to get their products noticed.

The national Made in America Hot Product Contest, which began June 1, is seeking contestants to submit their original products to the official contest website and online voters will decide the winner. For more information about the contest, visit http://www.nmoa.org/contest.

Homebuilder sales teams help homeless

Fifteen members of the Pulte Homes, Centex and Del Webb sales team in Tampa recently did a volunteer day of kitchen duty to help feed homeless men, women and families at Trinity Café in downtown Tampa.

Advance Auto Parts opens second Wesley Chapel site

Advance Auto Parts has opened its second Wesley Chapel location and celebrated the occasion with a June 1 ribbon cutting at the new store at 27270 SR 54.

The store offers a wide range of parts, national brands and free services including windshield wiper and battery installation.

Company officials said they chose the location because it is convenient for its customers.

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.

Body Tech Xpress has Lutz location

Body Tech Xpress had its grand opening for its Lutz location on May 26.

The facility, 19259 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is a private fitness facility, which offers access at all times for its members. It has isolation machines, free weights, treadmills, other equipment and services. For more information, call (813) 909-0888.

Habitat for Humanity sixth among nation’s homebuilders

Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County built and rehabilitated 12 homes in 2011, helping the national organization to rank as No. 6 among the nation’s homebuilders.

Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County purchases building materials locally and subcontracts with local electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning companies to provide affordable housing within the local community.

The national organization ranked No. 6 among homebuilders last year, according to a list compiled by BUILDER, a publication for the residential construction industry.

Hillsborough County library programs honored

By Kyle LoJacono

Answers for technology questions, classes on how to manage money and high-energy plays designed to entertain and educate.

They aren’t various programs spread out at different places throughout the area. All three and more are available free of charge at Hillsborough County’s libraries. Susan Oliver, chief librarian for five locations including Lutz Branch and Jimmie B. Keel in Carrollwood, has seen the focus change with the times in her 25 years with the system.

“We do a lot with e-books now and teach people how to use them,” Oliver said. “People are bringing in their smart phones now and asking us for help, and we’re teaching all of that. We’re the bridge between not knowing something and being literate, not just in the print world but the overall world. Our overall goal is to keep everyone coming to the library.”

The system was recently awarded the Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award from the Florida Library Association (FLA) for outstanding children’s programs, specifically those designed for homeschoolers. It is the first time Hillsborough has been awarded the top honor. FLA gave specific accolades to its science and consumer science services.

Oliver said the system started having programs focused for homeschoolers about 15 years ago.

“Our science programs really took off when the library opened at MOSI (in 1995),” Oliver said. “It closed last year because the agreement was up, but it started everything.”

The science equipment was moved to the John F. Germany Library in Tampa, but other branches also offer versions of the program. There are hands-on displays like skeletons, dissection displays and other nontraditional exhibits.

Oliver said having a science program isn’t uncommon for a library system, but added what separated Hillsborough was the displays are available to check out like books.

At Jimmie B. Keel, the county’s most used library, there are programs for those only a few months old to senior citizens.

There are classes to help spark children’s interest in reading to more hands-on activities like Lego Club, which meets the second Thursday monthly from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to build various displays.

More than 40,000 people attended the programs for kids and teens at the county’s 28 libraries during the first quarter of this year. Oliver said the goal of the program depends on the age group, such as early literacy for preschoolers.

“If they learn those early skills before school they have a better chance to read at grade level,” Oliver said. “The goal isn’t to get them to read, but for them to understand how books work and how to know what a word is and how they go together to make a story. … We can’t teach all the early learning skills in a few programs, but what we do is give parents the information to do it at home.

“For older kids the goal is to help them understand the library is here for them,” Oliver continued. “It’s free and we can teach literacy with books and computer literacy, which is something that is useful for any age.”

Toddler story time is very popular at Jimmie B. Keel, so they are looking to add a second weekly session.

“We want to keep the numbers around 20 so there’s more direct learning,” Oliver said.

Grace Gimenez and her 3-year-old daughter, Dakotah, have come to Jimmie B. Keel’s story time once a week and to puppet shows since the younger turned 1.

“Story time is great because the kids librarian is great with them and they learn a lot too,” Gimenez said. “She learns about reading from the songs. She sings a lot, constantly actually, the songs she learns at story time. She loves the books.”

The programs are free except for one art class in SouthShore Regional, and the majority of the funding comes from donations made by the Friends of the Public Library along with money made in the groups’ bookstores.

Oliver said the system offers many more classes for kids during the summer when school is out. Visit www.hcplc.org/hcplc/events/index.html for a complete list of upcoming events across the county, or call (813) 273-3652.