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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Hillsborough County breaks record on property appraisals

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Hillsborough County continues to report soaring property values, according to a news release from the office of the county’s property appraiser.

These homes are in Heritage Harbor, a community located off Lutz Lake Fern Road, in Lutz. (Mike Camunas)

The average sales price per square foot in 2021 was $200 for residential properties, up from $167 in the prior year. Gross sales for Hillsborough County residential was a record-breaking $12.94 billion, the release said.

Notice of proposed property taxes has been tabulated and will be sent to all Hillsborough County residential and commercial property owners in August.

Ahead of the notices going out, Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez presented figures to the Hillsborough County Commission that provide insight into the Tampa Bay real estate market’s current state and expected county revenue.

“The 2021 figures show a healthy real estate market with soaring property values leading to an uptick in government revenue,” the release said.

“We have observed strong year-over-year growth in building permit activity, sale prices, and transaction volume in all property types. For our taxing authorities, revenue is up 15%, which means more money going back to the communities served,” Henriquez said, in the release.

Under state law, county property appraisers must make annual assessments on the value of the properties within their individual counties.

“While the appraised value is lower than the actual market value, a hot market like Tampa Bay’s still drives an increase in appraised values,” the release said.

Published August 03, 2022

Pasco County continues making progress on jail takeover

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Pasco County is continuing to make strides toward the planned transfer of county jail operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been in charge of the jail, but plans call for switching it over to county administration in fiscal year 2022-2023.

Toward that end, the Pasco County Commission has appointed Stacey Jenkins as chief correctional officer.

It also has provided notice to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) regarding its intent to assume operation and control of the Pasco County Jail.

The county board took those actions at its July 12 meeting, as part of the board’s consent agenda. That means the board voted on those agenda items as part of a packet of actions, without discussion, as part of a single vote.

The board notified the FDLE in a transmittal letter signed by Board Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey.

Background on the issue was detailed in the county board’s July 12 agenda packet.

According to that information, the board certified to the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 4, 1998 that the sheriff was the county’s chief correction officer, with full administrative control and responsibility for the county jail.

On April 6 of this year, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco notified the board that he intended to transition the management of the jail to the county.

There have been discussions of an Oct. 1 transfer date, but the county and sheriff must approve the transition in an interlocal agreement.

In another action related to the jail, the board authorized the issuance of not-to-exceed $41 million in bonds to finance the expansion of the county jail and to pay the transactional costs.

Published August 03, 2022

Changes recommended in Villages of Pasadena Hills

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The Pasco County Planning Commission favors changes to the county’s land use plan, to allow greater flexibility within two villages in the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH).

The planning board voted unanimously at its July 7 meeting to recommend approval of the request to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction.

Initially, the request had been on the board’s consent agenda, meaning it would be approved as part of a bundle of items without discussion, unless someone objected or had questions.

Planning Commissioner Jonathan Moody asked for the item to be pulled so he could learn more about the request.

The Villages of Pasadena Hills is a special planning area, with its own financial plan.

The district was formed with the aim of creating an orderly way to develop a large area of land in East Pasco, through the creation of a series of specific types of villages.

The proposed changes would apply to Village L and Village M, which are east of Curley Road and north of the Zephyrhills Bypass, according to a memo in the planning board’s agenda packet.

The purpose of the amendment is to provide greater flexibility in the land use mix within each of the villages, and allow more opportunity for more compact areas of development in and around village centers, the memo says. The amendment is necessary to achieve the proposed density for Village L and Village M that is assumed in VOPH’s financial plan.

The current Type 3 Village requirements also would effectively prohibit the build-out of the two villages to their planned density and frustrate the ability to design the villages in accordance to the land use vision plan, the memo adds.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, representing the applicant, told the planning board: “The only reason this plan amendment is before you is when we started working on this project, we realized that we think there was an error in the village typology,” he said.

A Type 3 Village requires a neighborhood edge, which is not more than two units per on 70% of the entire village, Hobby said.

That limitation would result in being able to achieve roughly 40% less than the village entitlements, which amounts to about 1,800 units, Hobby said.

“That’s about a $20 million hit on the VOPH financial plan,” the attorney estimated.

The change that’s being requested would “keep the same entitlements, but allow us to have a more neighborhood general, neighborhood core area as opposed to just a sprawling area of not more than two units per acre, which is not efficient,” Hobby said.

There was no other public comment at the meeting.

The land use change is the first part of the process. The land also would need to be rezoned before it could be developed. A rezoning request is being pursued for the designation of a  master-planned unit development.

Published August 03, 2022

Project at I-75 and State Road 52 moves closer to approval

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning request to clear the way for a project known as Pasco Town Center, on roughly 1,000 acres at the southeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and State Road 52.

Pasco County will seek to build a project known as Pasco Town Center at the southeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and State Road 52. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning matters.

This won’t be the first time the county board considers the project.

It approved an economic incentive deal on June 7, with Columnar Holders, relating to the proposed project, which includes 4 million square feet of industrial space; 725,000 square feet of office space; 3,500 housing units; 400,000 square feet of retail and 300 hotel rooms.

The agreement terms provide a $55.8 million package for Columnar, funded mostly through property tax rebates, as specific milestones are met.

The development company also will install key roads and utility connections beyond the Pasco Town Center Property – providing $70.1 million in public infrastructure, with no direct cost to taxpayers, David Engel, the county’s director of the office of economic growth, said at the June 7 county board meeting.

Pasco Town Center is within the Employment Center area of Connected City.

Joel Tew, attorney for the applicant, described the project to the planning board at its July 21 meeting.

“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of jobs,” he said.

“We must use at least 55% of the land — in this case, we’re talking over 1,000 acres of land, so we’re talking about over 500 acres of land must be allocated and used for corporate business park, targeted business or industrial use,” Tew said.

“We then must use at least 20% for residential uses, but they can’t be single-family detached. So, everything has to be multifamily or townhomes to support the employment center.

“Then, finally, we have to use at least 5% for support commercial uses for the employment center,” he said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Williams, who also is the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, noted that the residential entitlements are double what had been previously proposed.

That raises the issue of the potential need of a school site within the project site, Williams said.

Tew responded: “For the record, we understand that concern.”

He also noted that there’s still a significant amount of land that has not yet been committed to a particular use, so he is confident that a suitable site could be identified.

At the planning board’s meeting, Engel explained the significance of the Pasco Town Center project.

“It’s vitally important for our economic future because it is the heart of our economic development area, on I-75 and (State Road) 52, employment node,” he said.

It will provide infrastructure — the public spine roads and the master utility lines—for the employment center area, as well as to areas to the east, he said.

The Office of Economic Growth wanted to ensure the elements of the economic development agreement were carried through to the master-planned unit development (MPUD) level, so it has worked closely with the county’s planning department to ensure that happened, he said.

County planners recommended approval of the request.

Neighbors seek to protect their tranquility
Carol Roth, who lives on McKendree Road, appeared before the planning board, along with her daughter and granddaughter. All three women raised concerns about the impacts the sizable project will have on their way of life.

“When we came into this area, it was beautiful and serene,” Roth said.

“I feel it is the obligation of Pasco County government to protect me and my environment and my land, as you allow for growth for business and other people. I’ve lived there over 50 years, I built that home and I’ve enjoyed what I have.

“I’ve enjoyed its inherent beauty. I don’t know if people are familiar with rural Pasco, but it’s a distinct beauty,” she said.

She also noted that her property has a variance for an air strip and wanted assurances that wouldn’t be affected, if future plans call for a new school nearby.

Roth said she’s not against development, she’s against the impacts that come with this type of development.

“What happens to the little people who own 20 acres right across the street?” she said.

Her granddaughter noted that the family built their home “with their own sweat and blood.”

She expressed concerns about impacts on wildlife in an area where gators walk across their property, dozens of turkeys hang out there, and there’s sandhill cranes and other creatures.

Safety is an issue, too, she said.

Roth’s daughter noted that all of the development will create light pollution, resulting in a loss of access to the night sky, and the sense of stillness and awe they currently enjoy.

Brad Tippin, the county’s development manager, said the county doesn’t anticipate any conflicts with the landing field from future development. He also noted that plans call for realigning McKendree Road, which would push traffic further away from the family’s home.

Tew said that whenever development occurs, it will be required to meet buffering, setback and landscaping requirements.

Planning Commissioner Jon Moody observed: “We can’t stop Tampa from extending northward. I don’t think there’s anything we can do to stop that kind of growth. The population continues to grow, the people up North keep coming. And, from the looks of things, it looks like it’s going to keep coming.”

Moody said he understands the family’s concerns, noting he won’t pay for streetlights in his neighborhood because he enjoys the night sky, too.

“But I can’t guarantee that the next 100-acre tract over or the one after that is not going to get built on; I don’t own it,” he said.

He also noted this project is “going to bring a lot of jobs, probably desperately needed  jobs.”

Planning Commissioner Jaime Girardi agreed: “Growth is coming. It’s inevitable.”

At least now, both Girardi and Moody said, the county is planning for growth.

Planning Commissioner Williams added: “My family has been here for five generations, here in Pasco County.”

He, too, enjoys the rural nature of where he lives, Williams said.

But he added: “I can’t dictate what my neighbor decides they want to do with their property.”

Planning board chairman Charles Grey added: “We’re aware, keenly aware, of growth and how it affects areas that we once thought were going to be that way forever.”

This project has been thought out and will have considerable benefit, Grey said.

“There’s going to be a downside as far as you’re concerned because of the growth, but the upside is, at some stage, you may want to sell that property, and when you do, it’s going to be worth a lot more money, because of it,” Grey said.

Published July 27, 2022

Finding literary inspiration in history, family

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All J.C. Kato needed was for someone to ask the question.

And, as it turns out, that person was her daughter.

Kato, who goes by J.C., had ruminated on and tinkered with a manuscript for years, but eventually she tucked it away.

That story, which became the book, “Finding Moon Rabbit,” is a fictionalized account that traces the story of Kato’s husband’s family and their time incarcerated in Japanese internment camps during World War II.

J.C. Kato, left, and her daughter, Jennifer Kato, or JC2, worked together to write ‘Finding Moon Rabbit,’ a fictional account of a Japanese-American family held in an internment camp at Heart Mountain in Wyoming, and deeply inspired by the Kato family’s ancestors, specifically the family of J.C.’s husband, Denny, who is JC2’s father. (Mike Camunas)

This year marks the 80th anniversary incarceration of people of Japanese descent. More than 120,000 people were taken by bus or train to 15 assembly centers of temporary lodging and then, eventually, Relocation Camps.

It was a story she knew by heart and one she felt needed to be told, but J.C. could never get it right on paper.

“I’d been nurturing this manuscript for a while,” said J.C., who lives in Lutz. “It was kind of born out of my husband’s family; 13 members were incarcerated, but they never talked about it. Once I had kids, I wanted them to have some idea of what happened, and through the years, I’d take it out, work on it, put it back.

“Then, the instances of violence against Asian Americans kept happening more frequently. That’s when my daughter said, ‘Mom, where’s your manuscript?’”

Her daughter, Jennifer Kato, who became co-author on the book, was referring to the horrific surge in violence against people of any Asian descent.

The violence has stemmed from a belief by some that Asians were somehow to blame for COVID-19, which is documented to have originated in China.

Jennifer, who experienced some of that hostility through non-violent incidents, couldn’t help but see the parallels between the modern-day discrimination and the treatment of Asian Americans during WWII.

“These past several years, especially during COVID, was just this mass increase in hatred toward Asian Americans. It seemed very familiar to what we had heard happened years ago during World War II. It just blew my mind that what happened more than 70 years ago — we’re still talking about,” said Jennifer, who goes by the pen name, JC2.

“It was scary during COVID and seeing that happening to Asian Americans,” said JC2

The book is historical fiction, but it is deeply inspired by the Kato family’s ancestors, specifically J.C.’s husband and JC2’s father, Denny.

The story traces the life of a Japanese-American family held in an internment camp at Heart Mountain in Wyoming. It is told from the point of view of the family’s youngest daughter, Koko. Her story begins when she arrives at Heart Mountain, which according to the ‘Heart Mountain Sentinel,’ was Aug. 12, 1942.

“Since the first evacuee set foot in Wyoming’s newest and now third largest city back on the morning of Aug. 12, a great change has come over the community of Heart Mountain,” wrote the publication in January 1943.

As a Yonsei, or fourth-generation Japanese American, JC2 felt passionately about sharing this close-to-the-heart message.

“I feel Koko’s story is about renewing hope, and I think any kid, no matter their race, will connect to Koko,” she said.

J.C. is a Hakujin, or Japanese for a white person. For her, this is a story she not only married into, but also has experienced in her family — seeing the change in attitude all three of her Japanese-American children are facing.

Over time, not only did she learn more from Denny, but took the time to immerse herself in the rich Japanese history, including the dark times of World War II.

It’s why she and Denny made the pilgrimage to Heart Mountain: to understand what those terrible times in internment camps were like.

“I chose Heart Mountain because my husband’s family weren’t at that camp, to be respectful,” she said. “I didn’t want my family to think I was writing about them, and I’m not. It is a fictional story, but one that has everything someone like Koko would’ve faced, and that was important to tell that story.”

The book was released in late June.

The mother-daughter team debuted “Finding Moon Rabbit” at the Children’s Book Fair at Oxford Exchange in downtown Tampa on June 4, and sold every copy. Even though the book is geared toward the young adult audience, the authors feel anyone can relate to the main character and the story.

“One librarian said she would suggest it to kids, as young as third-graders,” J.C. said. “It’s about Girl Scouts, too, because (Koko) wants to be a Girl Scout, but she doesn’t follow the rules very well. Any kid, or reader who used to be a kid, can relate to that.”

“(The) favorite question of children is ‘Why?’” JC2 added, “and that’s what she (Koko) asks the whole book: ‘Why? Why do I have to follow these rules?’ That’s going to speak to a lot of people.”

The JCs said it was a passion project to finish the manuscript and publish the book.

“It was very important to me, in my mind, to refresh everyone on what happened to my family and what is happening again,” JC2 said. “It was a way to connect to them and to understand, even now in modern day, what they went through.”

J.C. agrees with her daughter, whom she credits for propelling the project forward.

“The book definitely would not have been published, let alone finished or taken back out, if Jennifer hadn’t come forward,” J.C. said. “When she contributed, it made all the difference. When we were editing and taking out passages, she would go, ‘Why?! Why did this happen?!’ Just like Koko. She brought along a lot of the angst that I don’t have because this story, the message, the telling of what happened and is happening, is closer to her heart.

“She brought Koko’s heart to the book.”

Finding Moon Rabbit
Tagline: A war. A camp. A girl. A letter.
Authors: J.C. Kato and JC2 (Jennifer Kato)
Cost: Hardcover $19.99; Paperback $14.99
Details: This fictional account is based on the story of one Japanese American family held in an internment camp at Heart Mountain in Wyoming, as told from the point of view of the family’s youngest daughter, Koko.
To purchase Finding Moon Rabbit, visit FindingMoonRabbit.com. The book also is available on Amazon.

Published July 27, 2022

Pasco County government buys office space

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As Pasco County grows, so does its need for government office space.

The Pasco County Commission has approved the purchase of the Liberty Professional Center at 8606, 8624 and 8630 Government Drive, in New Port Richey.

The county purchased the three Class A buildings for $4.2 million, plus closing costs. The buildings make up more than 19,000 square feet.

The purchase is in keeping with the county’s Facilities Master Plan.

The location of the office buildings, which is south of and adjacent to the West Pasco Judicial Center, makes it ideal for the county, according to a memo in the board’s agenda packet for its July 12 meeting.

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved a task order for Alfred Benesch & Company in an amount not to exceed $126,856.12 for a Pasco County Greenways, Trailways and Blueways Master Plan. The work will involve planning services that will build upon past and current efforts to lay the groundwork for countywide greenways trails and blueways systems that connects communities, provide recreational opportunities, and complements or supplements existing recreational and transportation infrastructure.
  • Approved a professional services agreement with American Consulting Engineers of Florida LLC, in the amount of $573,434.27 for the Tower Road Route Study and Pond Siting Analysis Report, from west of Sunlake Boulevard to east of U.S. 41.
  • Authorized the county administrator or his designee to make binding incentive offers for parcels to be acquired in eminent domain proceedings for the Wesley Chapel Boulevard (County Road 54) widening project.

Using incentive offers is deemed to be a way to achieve significant savings by avoiding considerable costs that can be incurred in the process, according to materials in the county board’s July 12 agenda packet.

The county board has agreed with the county attorney’s recommendation to allow offers not to exceed 120% of the county’s written appraisal report of the affected property.

  • Approved an amendment to a task order with Williamson Dacar Associates to extend the completion date on the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library project, by 90 days, to Sept. 23. The change also increases the purchase authority by $6,3500, bringing the new not-to-exceed total amount to $211,800. The extension is needed to allow for additional site inspections resulting from unforeseen delays from material shortages.
  • Approved an amendment to a task order with Williamson Dacar Associates to extend the completion date on the Hugh Embry Branch Library to Aug. 8. The change also includes an increase in the purchase authority of $4,450, bringing the new not-to-exceed total to $152,825. The extension is needed to allow for additional site inspections resulting from unforeseen delays from material shortages.

Published July 27, 2022

Making a clean sweep

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Step into Steve Melton’s workshop, in the far reaches of Northeast Pasco County, and you’ll see a man who equally enjoys working with his hands, and spinning stories about the heritage arts.

In this case, he’s busy making a broom.

Steve Melton holds up two types of millet, also known as broom straw or broom corn, that are used to make brooms. (Christine Holtzman)

He starts with the material that will make the broom’s head.

“This is the millet seed and they would pull the seed off,” he said, touching the seeds with his fingers. What it does, after the seed is off, it turns into broom corn; or broom straw,” he said.

There are all types of millets. There’s one for syrup-making. Another for cow feed. Some millet is specially bred for broom straw, he said.

Millet, historically was grown in Illinois.

There are various accounts to the history of broom-making by hand, but Melton said the industry had its heyday during the ‘30s and ‘40s, when towns were founded on making brooms and workers assembled them by hand, in factories.

After attaching the millet to the broom handle, Steve Melton places his nearly finished broom in a broom vise to hold it flat in place, while he stitches the head. Melton is using a sewing needle that he made in his blacksmith shop.

“It was a huge industry at one time,” he said.

“Illinois was kind of the epicenter.

“In Rantoul, Illinois — that’s where I learned about this — there are broom festivals,” Melton said.

Not many brooms are made by hand, these days
Melton said he became enamored with the idea of making brooms after he saw some being made at an antique tractor show in the Midwest.

“I was enthralled,” he said.

While demonstrating how he makes a flat kitchen broom, Steve Melton, uses a machine called a ‘kick winder’ to attach the millet to the wooden handle. Melton uses his foot to control the spin of the machine, while hand-wrapping the millet to the handle, using metal wire.

At another show, he saw brooms being made on a commercial scale. Then, he learned about a man in Alabama who sold machines used to make brooms by hand, and he decided to buy some of that equipment and bring it home.

The Northeast Pasco man doesn’t make mass quantities of brooms, but he gets immense pleasure from the process.

He uses broom straw of varied colors.

Though the dyed broom straw is more expensive, Melton likes to mix some in.

“It just looks so pretty,” he explained.

When making brooms, he uses a kick winder, which wraps wire around the broom straw to attach it to the handle. His particular piece of equipment was patented in 1878 and likely has been used to make thousands of brooms in the past, he said.

Melton uses short, medium and long broom corn to create the broom head.

The process involves selecting the broom corn, evening it out and then attaching the batch of straw to the handle with wire, using the kick winder.

A look at some of Steve Melton’s handmade brooms.

He uses a broom vise to flatten the straw for the broom head and once it is flattened, he keeps it that way, by using a needle he made in his blacksmith shop, to stitch the straw together by hand.

While making brooms, Melton said his mind drifts.

He thinks of the others who came before him, using the same piece of machinery to make brooms by hand.

He imagines the lives of the people using the same kind of brooms, decades ago.

“This is broom-making as it would have been, 100 years ago,” Melton said.

He derives great satisfaction from the art of making brooms by hand, and he loves the practical nature of the finished product.

“Every time you pick this up to sweep your kitchen, that gives you a sense of accomplishment,” Melton said.

Revised July 27, 2022

Vessel turn-in program hopes to ease backlog

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has approved the final rule establishing a statewide Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP), as part of the Derelict Vessel Prevention Program. The new rule will create a voluntary program to remove at-risk vessels before they become derelict, which helps Florida’s environment and public safety, according to a news release.

The Division of Law Enforcement’s Boating and Waterways Section is spearheading a multi-year effort to dramatically reduce the backlog of derelict (abandoned or deserted) vessels currently on Florida’s waters.

These abandoned vessels cause the destruction of valuable seagrass resources and endanger marine life. They also threaten human life, safety and property, as the vessels drift on or beneath the surface of the water or block navigable waterways, posing a navigational hazard to the boating public.

Vessels that are deserted are more costly and complicated to remove than at-risk vessels. The VTIP is designed to allow owners of vessels at risk of becoming derelict the ability to voluntarily turn the at-risk vessel over to the state for removal and destruction.

“Removing at-risk vessels from Florida’s waterways before they become derelict is not only a win for the environment, but also for public safety, taxpayers and the vessel owners,” said Roger Young, director of the FWC Division of Enforcement, in the release.

For more on this topic, visit MyFWC.com and search “derelict vessels.”

Published July 27, 2022

Pasco provides details on county ‘Penny’ projects

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted a list of projects the county intends to pursue with proceeds of a proposed 15-year extension of the Penny for Pasco government infrastructure surcharge tax.

The board identified the projects during is July 12 meeting.

Voters will decide in the Nov. 8  general election whether they want to extend the tax for a third round.

The first Penny for Pasco, approved by voters, was in effect from January 2005 through December 2014. Voters approved extending the tax, from 2015 until 2024.

This time, voters are being asked to approve a 15-year extension of the tax, through 2039.

The tax proceeds are shared between Pasco County, the Pasco County School Board and the county’s six municipalities.

Of the county’s share, 20% would go for economic development; 20% for environmental land acquisition and recreation improvements; 20% for public safety; and, 40% for transportation.

Here are some of the ways the county said it would spend the tax proceeds:

  • Environmental Lands: Acquisition of an estimated 3,000 to 3,700 acres of environmentally sensitive lands; additional amenities such as picnic areas, campgrounds, hiking trails, observations towers, and associated infrastructure throughout the county; improvements at Baillies Bluff Wilderness Park and Len Angeline Wilderness and Recreation Park
  • Economic development: Efforts to support workforce development; rejuvenate semi-blighted economic corridors; encourage entrepreneurs through business incubators; provide economic incentives to attract businesses and jobs
  • Public safety: Funding for Pasco Fire Rescue and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Both Fire/Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office would receive for new vehicles and new in-vehicle computers and equipment. Fire Rescue also would receive specialty vehicles, including utility terrain vehicles and boats, life-saving emergency response equipment and facility upgrades
Pasco County’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program purchases environmentally sensitive lands throughout the county, using funds provided through the taxpayer-supported Penny for Pasco program. (File)

Transportation projects: This category stands to receive 40% of the proceeds, so that list is lengthy. Here’s a summary of some proposed projects:

  • A county-wide study to determine its multi-modal transportation needs
  • Proposed multi-modal improvements, including sidewalks and multi-use paths. Specific improvements, within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area include:
  • Eiland Boulevard A , from north of State Road 54 to Handcart Road, a multi-use path
  • Eiland Boulevard B, from Handcart Road to U.S. 301, a multi-use path
  • Starkey Trail bike/pedestrian overpass at State Road 54
  • Wire Road, from Pretty Pond Road to County Road 54, sidewalk
  • Sidewalk projects near schools, including Curley Road, near Wesley Chapel Elementary, Thomas Weightman Middle School and Wesley Chapel High School; Cypress Creek Road, near Denham Oaks Elementary School; and Parkway Boulevard, near Pine View Elementary School
  • Numerous other types of improvements including projects to improve connectivity and safety, including bicycle lanes, bicycle trail connections, bridge rehabilitation, accessibility improvements, roundabouts, paved shoulder safety treatments, roadway lighting and transportation technology and acquisition of right of way
  • Improvements for GoPasco: The list includes new buses, improved accessibility to bus stops, park and ride locations, and improved bus stops

Published June 20, 2022

Pasco limits new recurring expenses

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Pasco County’s revenues are up because of its burgeoning growth, but the county is taking a conservative approach when it comes to adding new recurring expenses.

The assessed taxable value in fiscal year 2023 is just at $2 billion, compared at just under $1.4 billion last year, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

“The taxable assessed value in 2023 was actually higher than the new construction in 2008,” he said.

“So, because we can’t expect this taxable from new construction to be at this level for year over year over year, we are suggesting that we not spend this new additional revenues for new ongoing expenditures, except as they relate to Fire Rescue,” Goehig told the Pasco County Commission at its July 12 meeting.

“So, we are suggesting that we adopt a limited number of new business plan initiatives — or new spending for new ongoing expenditures — and take the remaining piece of that and invest that into one-time capital investments, into our capital improvement process to bring those projects up to speed,” Goehig said.

Emergency personnel representing Pasco County Fire Rescue repeatedly have urged the Pasco County Commission to provide them with more equipment and manpower, to reduce response time to emergencies. The county’s proposed budget reflects about $6 million in initiatives to bolster Fire Rescue operations. (File)

“So, we saw there’s an additional $21 million out there. Before we get carried away with all of this new money (and) figure out we’re going to spend it, there are lots and lots of things that we have to pay for with that new money,” he added.

Inflation, he noted, is at 11.3% in the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Pasco County.

“Just the cost of fuel alone has increased 38% over the past year,” he said.

Fleet-related expenditures, including fuel and increased costs for maintenance and parts is expected to increase by more than $1 million for Fire Rescue alone, he said.

“It will increase over $3 million countywide,” Goehig said.

The county also is currently conducting a compensation/classification study for its staff, which is expected to result in a 7% increase in the county’s average compensation, he said.

Wages also will increase for firefighters, he said.

Goehig also noted that Fire Station 3 and Fire Station 9 are coming online and must be funded for a full year.

As Fire Rescue responds to more calls, costs for medical supplies are expected to increase by $500,000, he added.

There also are increases to health care and retirement costs.

The county, however, is recommending a number of enhancements to its Fire Rescue services.

Those proposed budget items follow persistent requests by firefighters at board meetings, urging the county to provide the equipment and manpower necessary to address a surging number of emergency calls.

This year’s budget calls for two new fire stations to come online, four new rescue units and four peak-hour rescue units, Goehig said. That brings the total number of new ambulance units on the street to eight, Goehig said.

The budget also calls for adding 65 firefighters.

Goehig noted the call volume for Fire Rescue increased by 16% in 2021, compared to a typical rate of increase of 3% to 4%.

The county doesn’t know if the spike in call volume in 2021 was a one-time thing because of the pandemic, or if that will be the new normal.

“In either case, we have to plan as if that 16% is the new normal,” Goehig said.

In total, there are 16 business plan initiatives for Fire Rescue, totaling about $6 million, he said.

The proposed county budget also includes two additional code enforcement officers and two additional animal services officers.

The budget also calls for providing a general fund transfer of $1.6 million to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office to support the hiring of 10 deputies.

Goehig’s presentation was made in concert with an agenda item on proposed tax rate and date for the first public hearing on the county  budget for fiscal year 2023.

The county board approved the proposed tax rate and set the first public hearing on the county’s budget on Sept. 6, at 5:15 p.m. The meeting will be in the board chambers at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

The final public hearing is set for Sept. 20 at 5:15 p.m., in the board chambers at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, in New Port Richey.

Pasco County’s proposed tax rates
Pasco County is planning :

  • No change in its operating millage rate of 7.6076
  • No change in its fire service millage rate of 1.8036

The Florida Constitution’s “Save Our Homes” provision caps the taxable value of homestead properties at 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. This year, the CPI is 7%, so the taxable value for homesteaded properties will be capped at 3%.

The taxable value of the house is $150,000, minus standard exemptions, resulting in a taxable value of $100,000. The taxable value thus increases by $3,000, based on the 3% cap. That house would pay $22.82 in additional property taxes.

Taxable values of non-homesteaded properties cannot be increased by more than 10%.

Source: Pasco County budget presentation on July 12

Want to weigh in?
The first public hearing on Pasco County’s budget is set for Sept. 6 at 5:15 p.m., in the board chambers at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.
The final public hearing is set for Sept. 20 at 5:15 p.m., in the board chambers at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, in New Port Richey.

Published June 20, 2022