The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Under Construction

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Firestone Complete Auto Service
Motorists will have a new option for car maintenance with the opening of a new Firestone Complete Auto Service, at 25170 Maren Way in Land O’ Lakes. The shop, which is off State Road 54, will be equipped with seven service bays, as well as an indoor waiting area, along with an HD-TV and Wi-Fi service. The 6,116-square-foot building is set to open in late September and will provide 10 to 15 jobs.

Flying Squirrel Sports
Flying Squirrel Sports will bring new recreational activities for both adults and kids. The 40,000-square-foot structure will include indoor trampolines, dodge ball games, an arcade, pool tables, and a restaurant, among other amenities. The coming attraction will be housed in the Willow Bend Towne Centre, 22920 State Road 54 in Lutz. Construction is set to be completed in August, with an official opening date planned in September.

East Pasco Fleet-Transit Facility
Efforts are underway to build a facility to house county vehicles and buses at 9928 McKendree Road in San Antonio. The 31,427-square-foot station will include an area to wash buses, a refueling station and multiple bays for vehicle maintenance. Construction is expected to end by late 2019.

Heartland Dental Clinic
A Heartland Dental clinic is under construction in the Land O’ Lakes Connerton community at 20301 Pleasant Plains Parkway. The one-story office is 4,320 square feet and will hold 13 rooms. End of construction and grand opening are both set for September.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

Clay Sink remains; others fade away

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Small communities with names such as “Mexico,” “Drexel,” “Ehren,” and  “Chipco” appeared on Pasco County maps more than 100 years ago.

They were located along the Orange Belt Railway, the first — and last — railroad to cross Central Pasco with a potential for future development.

Still moss-draped as it was when the Slaughters buried their infant daughter in 1873, the Clay Sink Cemetery is located on a hill and is the final resting place for six generations. Descendants still live in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The names of those small towns now are mere footnotes in Pasco County’s history.

But, a tiny community has survived.

Surrounded by hundreds of acres of the Withlacoochee State Forest, a 2-square-mile area is still known as “Clay Sink.”

Call it a quirk of fate.

Unlike many of Florida’s rural outposts, by the 1930s, the greater Clay Sink area had a complex economy.

In addition to farming and ranching, the expansion of the Atlantic Coast Line railroad spurred a timber harvesting industry and a turpentine business.

“It was lonely living oftentimes, but we had the radio to listen to programs like the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ and ‘Fibber McGee and Molly,’” recalled Jean Brinson Ward, who was 7 years old when her father monitored the area in the 1940s from the fire tower for the U.S. Forestry Service.

A wood-frame building, erected in 1904 on this site, served as the Clay Sink Missionary Baptist Church until the present building was constructed of heart pine in 1956. It remains one of the few churches still located on state forestland. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The settlement has been known by different names.

In a land transaction on May 20, 1862, Jesse Sumner sold 120 acres to Harrison H. Slaughter and Martha Ann McKinney Slaughter.

Martha had three children from a first marriage in 1859, and at least 10 children with Harrison, who had escaped a Yankee POW camp at the start of the Civil War and fled to the Everglades.

The settlement that soon developed initially was called Slaughter, after this pioneering family.

But later, it was called Clay Sink, after the local clay sinkhole.

Life wasn’t exactly easy.

Farms were worked in the intense heat of a Florida sun without the benefit of modern air conditioning or diesel tractors.

Families grew their own pork, chicken, beef, and planted gardens for vegetables.

And, they saw plenty of wildlife.

During an oral history with the Citrus County Historical Society on August 26, 2006, Frances Pritchell, a lifelong resident of Clay Sink, described what happened to her husband when he came home from a late shift at Pasco Packing in Dade City: “It was dark, and when he turned out the lights at the front gate and opened the gate, something ran into him and like to have knocked him down. He thought it was a dog. He came out around the house, but the dog was in the yard. Well, when he got along there about the chimney, it squalled out. It was a panther, and he had to go on around it to come in the house. About that time, it hollered again. A panther. And then about that time the dogs taken after it, and that was it. But, there are panthers here.”

Built as a one-room schoolhouse in 1912, this structure has served as the fellowship hall for the Clay Sink Missionary Baptist Church since school consolidation in 1943. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

During Prohibition, the Dade City Banner reported this news item on Sept. 22, 1925:

“Saturday a raid in the Slaughter neighborhood resulted in the capture of two stills, both small ones.”

No arrests were made in one instance, the newspaper reported. But in the other, “Bob Johnson, colored, not only lost his lard can outfit and a gallon of shine, but was also lodged in Jail.”

A year later, the Dade City Banner reported on the burial of Roy Slaughter at Clay Sink Cemetery. He was a veteran of World War I and also…”a member of Pershing’s punitive expedition into Mexico during the border troubles caused by the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920).”

During World War II, a bombing range less than a mile east of Clay Sink was operated by the U.S. Army for testing Mustard Gas, an oily liquid used as a shell filling, according to Jean Brinson Ward, vice chairman of the Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

Now the home of the Florida Bass Conservation Center—the state’s major freshwater fish production hatchery—the bombing range was used to test the effects on goats and rabbits.

Details from a 1956 Pasco County map show Slaughter as a settlement in the extreme northwest corner of Pasco County. Richloam is locatedDetails from a 1956 Pasco County map show Slaughter as a settlement in the extreme northwest corner of Pasco County. Richloam is located across the county line in Hernando County. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

“We could feel the earth shake when the bombs were dropped, and our house was in Richloam, which was about 9 (miles) or 10 miles from the range,” Ward said.

In an article published by The Tampa Tribune on Dec. 26, 2007, Pasco County Attorney Robert Sumner said people wanted to live in Clay Sink “where they were free to do what they wanted to do without being fenced in, where they could develop their own church.”

Back then, Sumner added, “the people who came to Florida came for the same reasons people originally came to the United States.”

Sumner’s own family history dates back to the 1820s, before Pasco County was created.

In October 1936, the federal government started buying forestland around Clay Sink, first from the Schroeder Land and Timber Company for $3 an acre, and then from area families such as the ancestors of 84-year-old Henry Boyett.

“They didn’t want our cattle eating the young pine trees they had planted,” Boyett recalled during an interview at the fellowship hall. “We tried to convince them there was too much turpentine in those saplings for cattle to digest.”

By 1939, the purchase of private-owned farms was completed to begin restoring the forests and wetlands under the U.S government’s Withlacoochee Resettlement Act.

To this day, Clay Sink remains a small cluster of farmsteads and homes due to the Great Depression and the loss of grazing lands.

For Boyett, though, it’s a desirable place.

He describes it as “peace and quiet, and it can never be developed.

“It’s the most fantastic thing I can tell you,” Boyette said.

In the stillness of this place, rainfall could be heard falling on the tin roof of the fellowship hall.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published July 24, 2019

Request raises questions about sites for schools, parks

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a change that would make it easier for landowners along State Road 52, near Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, to pursue development.

However, planning commissioners also are recommending that any development done in the area be accompanied by a map that identifies where future sites would be located for schools and parks. The requirement for that map would be triggered before any residential development is allowed.

Planning commissioners also recommend that no heavy industrial be allowed, except for that which falls under the definition of a targeted industry. Targeted industries are the types of businesses the county is trying to attract to provide more high-wage jobs in Pasco.

The planning commissioners’ recommendations came during a discussion of the current land use policies involving the Central Pasco Employment Village Area Plan.

The village plan, which was adopted in 2007, recognized a coordinated effort among landowners to create a vision for 2,400 acres of land, with goals of providing jobs and housing, among other things. A financial plan for the area was among the original conditions.

Since then, however, there have been some changes in land ownership and at least one of the landowners has asked the Pasco County Commission to change the policies so they can seek approval for an individual plan for their land.

That’s why the county’s planning staff is seeking changes, explained Nectarios Pittos, director of planning and development for Pasco County.

“This particular text amendment is a county-initiated text amendment. It was found to be difficult to come together to develop the entire planning area at once,” Pittos said.

Planning Commissioner Michael Cox, however, isn’t wild about changing the approach.

“Overall, I have a problem with this whole request,” Cox said.

He said the property owners involved in the original plan agreed to it, and the new buyers knew what they were buying into.

“It’s concerning to me that now, we’re seeing a property owner wanting to pull out of that and go back to the way we used to do it,” Cox said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Williams, who also is planning director for Pasco County Schools, sought assurances that if changes are made, that there will be a provision for park and school sites.

The problem is that those needs could be overlooked, if individual developers are allowed to peel off, Williams said.

“If they come in, and they’re planning this whole area, then they have to take care of schools and parks,” Williams said.

But, if there isn’t a master plan, a number of residential developments could come in that are too small to trigger the requirement for a school site but, when taken together, create the demand for a school site, Williams said. By then, however, all of the land has been taken up by development and the school system can’t find nearby sites.

There are 4,500 residential units approved in the plan, according to David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney.

He asked Williams if a provision is added requiring school and parks sites to be identified — before residential is approved — would address his concern.

Williams said that it would.

But, others in the audience also raised concerns.

“I’m the landowner who initially suggested that we go with individual MPUDs (master-planned unit developments), so that we can develop the industrial piece at the corner of State Road 52 and Bellamy Brothers Road (Boulevard),” said George Southworth, one of the property owners.

“We need to do something with the property. It’s a perfect place to create jobs for the county,” Southworth added.

He also noted that what he wants to do there would not generate a need for schools.

He acknowledged he has other residential properties within the village plan that likely would contribute to the need for school facilities, but this particular piece would not.

Southworth also emphasized: “There is a plan. We’re sticking with the plan and the appropriate land uses that were identified and approved by the county in that plan. We’re just saying, now we can move forward one landowner at a time, or two or three, whoever wants to work together. Otherwise, we’re just stopped dead in our tracks,” Southworth said.

Other landowners, however, expressed concerns.

“I am one of the owners within this MPUD. When I bought the property, I knew what was in here. I was comfortable with it, or I wouldn’t have bought it. It gave certain protections,” said property owner Andy Scaglione.

“When the board mandated — for the fast track on this, they did not know there was serious concerns among other property owners. All they were hearing from was Mr. Southworth.

“I own 133 acres.

“I think we need to slow this down. This is 2,400 acres on Highway (State Road) 52. This is very, very valuable property. This is moving way too quick. There’s too many questions. Let’s look at also some of these heavy industrial uses because that should not be allowed here.

“(State Road) 52 is going to be (State Road) 54, in not too long. Let’s move slow on this. Let’s get it right,” Scaglione said.

Other speakers also encouraged the county to slow the process down, to make sure that nothing’s allowed that could harm other landowners’ property values.

“Our biggest concern is the industrial. Everybody agrees it needs to get done right the first time,” said Terry Schrader, who lives on West Pasco Road.

Ultimately, planning commissioners amended the proposed change to allow light industrial or heavy industrial when it is affiliated with targeted industries.

The next step will be for a public hearing by the County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning matters.

Published July 24, 2019

The Edison Suncoast is going up in Pasco

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TPA Group, of Atlanta, has announced the details for The Edison Suncoast, a project under construction in the Northpointe Village development, off State Road 54, in Lutz.

The development consists of two three-story office buildings totaling 155,000 square feet.

Completion of the first 77,500-square-foot building is expected in the first quarter of 2020, and the schedule for the second building will be based on demand, said Barry Oaks, senior director for Cushman & Wakefield, the exclusive leasing agent for the project.

This computer-generated rendering offers a peek at what The Edison Suncoast will look like when it’s completed. Two loft-style buildings are being developed on a speculative basis. (Courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield)

The project is being built on a speculative basis, supported through a low-interest, partially forgivable loan from Pasco County, said Bill Cronin, president/CEO of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

The project is in response to an evolving market, Oaks added.

“Pasco County and surrounding areas have become more developed,” Oaks said. “We feel there’s an unmet need for office space.”

The project is situated on an 18.45-acre site at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54, in Pasco County, about 30 miles northwest of Tampa’s urban core.

The submarket, known as the 54 Corridor, is considered the next residential growth pocket in the Tampa Bay area, according to material provided by Cushman & Wakefield.

Demographics show a 95.2 percent increase in population from 2000 to 2010, and the current population of 53,130 is projected to grow by 21 percent by 2022.

The location is central to an abundance of residential communities, high-quality retail and dining options, as well as two hotels. Its proximity to the Suncoast Parkway provides convenience to Tampa International Airport, as well as Tampa’s Westshore District and Downtown, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

The building design calls for large windows, to invite an abundance of natural light into the structure. There’s also an open design, allowing tenants a great degree of flexibility, Oaks said.

Amenities include a fitness trail, a third-floor open deck, and a permanent food truck driveway in the courtyard.

Oaks said leasing is just getting started, but noted there is considerable interest in the project and there are talks underway.

Being in the midst of substantial residential development is a plus, Oaks said, because “you’ve got rooftops — so you’ve got access to labor and you’re not having to sell a commute.”

Put another way, there’s “a healthy labor pool in your own backyard,” Oaks said.

The Pasco EDC’s Cronin said the county provided the loan because it wanted to activate the construction of speculative Class A office space.

The county has to turn down projects that are interested in coming here because it lacks sufficient Class A space, Cronin said.

“Class A, just by the nature of being Class A, is going to attract high-wage, high-impact jobs.

“Most of the office spaces we have here currently are kind of a high class B.

“Having a true Class A building is going to attract folks who have a little prestige with their name,” Cronin added, and those employers offer the kind of high-wage jobs the county wants to attract.

Published July 24, 2019

Pasco joins the mission of Seniors in Service

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Seniors in Service is a nonprofit organization that provides valuable resources to local  communities through volunteerism.

Its main focus is helping people age 55 and older find the right volunteer opportunities for them that strengthen the local community.

Volunteers can serve and make a difference in a number of ways:

  • Provide companionship. Help isolated homebound elders live independently, with dignity, in their own homes. Provide respite care for worn-out caregivers. Make weekly check-in phone calls for people who need support.
  • Be a mentor or tutor to struggling children to help improve their academic and social skills
  • Help at a food pantry or food bank to help end hunger
  • Facilitate weekly workshops on nutrition and low-impact exercise
  • Facilitate small groups that share about life transitions and productive aging topics
  • Work with nonprofits through events, clerical, administrative duties, fundraising, advocates, advisors and more

Seniors in Service has received numerous awards, including the 2017 WEDU Be More Knowledgeable Award and the 2016 Tampa Bay Business Journal Nonprofit of the Year-Family Services.

The nonprofit also was named a finalist for the 2018 WEDU Be More Brilliant Award.

Volunteers at Seniors in Service have helped for more than 30 years in Hillsborough, Polk and Pinellas counties. Now, Pasco County also will be included.

Volunteers have flexible hours, and can choose when, where and how to pitch in.

Chris Noble is the liaison/coordinator for Pasco County and is looking to partner together to help make the community stronger.

For information on the organization, visit SeniorsInService.org.

To find out how to help, contact Chris Noble at (813) 760-3050 or .

Published July 24, 2019

San Antonio residents forced to ‘boil water’ to be safe

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Hundreds of San Antonio water customers woke up on July 11 to discover that their homes had little or no water pressure.

As soon as City Clerk Rick Alley became aware of the situation, he contacted the city’s public works director to look into the issue.

“I got a phone call at 4:08 a.m., on Thursday morning from a resident who said there was no (water) pressure,” Alley said.

(Brian Fernandes)

As the day went on,  San Antonio Mayor Mark B. Anderson began hearing from utilities’ customers expressing complaints about their water pressure.

Engineers found out that after a breaker had failed, one well pump did not turn on. A second well pump was working, but its valve didn’t open, preventing water from entering the city’s storage tank.

That presented a second potential problem: the possibility of debris in the water supply.

“Since there is less pressure in the pipes, there is a possibility that some contaminant could come back into the system,” Alley explained. “When the water is off for a while, when you lose pressure, it stirs up sediment in the pipes.”

Because of that possibility, the city issued boil water notices to residents, advising residents to boil their water before drinking or to use bottled water as an alternative.

Water pressure was restored to healthy levels on July 11, but studies showed that the pressure dropped again two days later.

An uninterruptible power supply back-up system has been installed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The issue affected about 700 customers. As of July 17, the boiled water notice had been lifted.

To receive San Antonio’s public alert notices in the future, email , or call (352) 588-2127.

Published July 24, 2019

State Road 56 Extension gives drivers another option

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Motorists heading through the county to or from East Pasco now have a new way to do it.

The State Road 56 Extension, which links Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Greater Zephyrhills, opened on July 10.

This view shows State Road 56, looking east from Meadow Pointe Boulevard, on a new 6-mile stretch of the road, linking Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills. The road opened to the public on July 10. (Tyler Nathe, Aerial Photography Tampa, AerialPhotographyTampa.com)

Dignitaries and members of the media gathered for a preview of the road the day before it opened to the public.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley noted the significance of the new 6-mile stretch.

“It’s the first time in my lifetime that we’ve had a four-lane road from West Pasco all of the way to East Pasco,” Oakley said, noting the road closes a missing link between U.S. 301 on the east and U.S. 19 on the west.

“It’s an awesome day for the citizens of Pasco County,” added County Commissioner Mike Moore. “It’s going to bring a better quality of life for all of our citizens, and it’s going to bring opportunity to this area also.”

Moore noted the project wouldn’t have happened without the foresight of Will Weatherford, former Speaker of the House of the Florida House of Representatives, who secured funding to extend the road.

However, the state’s plans called for the extension to be a two-lane road.

Pasco County District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley speaks about the project, during the media event held on July 9. (Christine Holtzman)

That was before the community of Zephyrhills rallied behind an effort to make it a four-lane road. They won the support of then State Rep. Danny Burgess and then State Rep. John Legg, who met with then Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold, who suggested the possibility of a state loan to pay for the second two lanes.

That plan came together through the collaboration of Pasco County officials, the City of Zephyrhills, private landowners and the contractor.

“This is really a monumental occasion,” said David Gwynn, District Seven secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation. “Although this is a DOT project, DOT was just one player in this.”

Now, the road is open, with signalized intersections at U.S. 301 and Morris Bridge Road, and features a multi-use trail, a sidewalk and bicycle lanes.

Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, anticipates the tourist and economic growth that the new State Road 56 extension will provide to Downtown Zephyrhills. (Christine Holtzman)

After the preview tour, Oakley headed to a county commissioner meeting, where he marveled at the new road.

“It is absolutely beautiful. If you can drive that road, you’ll see Old Florida because there’s never been a road through there before. You’ll see sights that you’ve never been able to see,” he said.

Of course, the view won’t last forever, Oakley said.

“See it now, because in 8 (years) to 10 years, that will change,” Oakley said, as new homes, new businesses and possibly a school are built in the area.

“A lot of growth will happen from this,” he said.

Milestones

  • Speaker of the House Will Weatherford announces private-public funding plan for extension of State Road 56 to U.S. 301: November 2013
  • Zephyrhills community pushes for four-lane extension, rather than a two-lane link, at town hall meeting with Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg: February 2015
  • State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg meet with Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold, who offers the possibility of a state infrastructure loan: April 2015
  • Pasco Commission approves series of agreements with state, City of Zephyrhills and private landowners, clearing the way for the state loan: January 2016.
  • Road opens to public: July 2019

By Brian Fernandes and B.C. Manion

Published July 17, 2019

A car heads south down US 301, near the brand-new intersection with State Road 56 in Zephyrhills. The new extension of roadway provides a direct east and west connection between Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel. (Christine Holtzman)

Flooding concerns prompt rezoning protest

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Pasco County Commissioners adopted a change to the county’s future land use map, and also approved a rezoning in the Sierra Pines area — despite concerns by neighbors that the planned project will add to the area’s flooding problems.

The rezoning and land use change involve 164.8 acres, on the south side of State Road 54, approximately 2,000 feet east of Meadowbrook Drive.

The property is surrounded by the Shoppes at Ballantrae Village to the north, single-family residential to the south and west; Long Lake Ranch, and a proposed Pasco County school site to the east.

The land use and zoning changes had received recommendations for approval, and had been going through the process without any apparent opposition.

Joel Tew, an attorney representing the applicants, told commissioners that the land already is entitled to develop 1,534 apartments and the requests would lower the proposed intensity to 400 apartments, and a maximum of 150 single-family homes and 150 townhomes.

The front of the site would retain its office and developments, with the apartments and gathering space behind them.

Opponents turned out in force at public hearings held on the two related requests.

Jessica Stempien, of 1102 Wildwood Lane, appeared on behalf of the Sierra Pines Coalition, which works on stormwater and flooding issues in the community.

“We are highly concerned about this development,” she said. “We’re concerned that it’s going to increase the intensity and the duration of the stormwater events in our neighborhood.

“We would like to propose for a delay, or a slowing down of this process, so we can get and have a third-party reviewer, an engineer, an advocate on our side when we sit down and talk with those developers. We’re just asking for time and transparency.”

Kevin Marks, of 1530 Woodfield Court, told commissioners: “It just gets worse every year. I think we need to fix the issues before we create any more issues.”

Scott Slone, of 17135 Gunn Lock Road, said “we bought property as a dream. And, year after year, that dream has eroded away because of the water that flows into our residences, erodes our property.”

His wife, Lisa Slone, said she can’t get out of her neighborhood during flooding events.

“I love my neighborhood, but I need to be able to leave my neighborhood,” she said.

“It’s not just flooding. It’s congestion and quality of life that needs to be thought about here, too,” she added.

Patrick Kennedy, of 17320 Raintree Road, owns one of the parcels that backs up to the planned 150 townhomes, which would be 15 feet from his property line.

He worries about negative impacts on his property values, and a loss of privacy for his family.

“We’re not saying, don’t build the townhomes. We’re saying, set them back. Give us some space,” Kennedy said.

Dr. Jessica Greer, of 17324 Raintree Road, said her family owns 2.5 acres backing up to the proposed townhomes.

“When we bought the lots there, were told that there would be a wildlife corridor right behind us. We were told that would be 100 to 150 feet,” she said. She and her husband wanted to buy land to provide a buffer to their property and were told it would cost $500,000 an acre, she said.

Other neighbors reminded commissioners how deluged their neighborhood was when Irma hit, dumping 8 ½ inches of rainfall. It was impossible for people to get in or out because of the floodwaters. They also asked commissioners to balance progress with the way of life they enjoy, and to fix existing flooding problems before adding projects that could make them worse.

Commissioner Jack Mariano asked county staff if additional drainage requirements could be imposed to protect the neighbors, as the county has done in some previous cases.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder agreed stricter standards have been required in some cases, but the attorney added: “You’ve never done that with an entitled project.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey reminded her colleagues that the applicant is reducing the amount of development that has already been approved for the site.

She said that’s an important first step.

The commissioner, whose district includes Sierra Pines, said “we’ve been trying to deal with flooding, very serious flooding that’s going on in Sierra Pines. There’s no doubt about it.

“We’ve been peeling away the layers of challenges in Sierra Pines.”

However, she added: “It’s not Smith54’s (the applicant) responsibility to fix the woes of Sierra Pines. It is Smith54’s responsibility to not make it worse,” Starkey said.

Both Starkey and Commissioner Mike Moore said they want better buffering provided for the properties backing up to the townhomes, and Tew agreed to a condition that would involve the county staff in addressing that concern.

Tew also agreed to a condition that provides the neighborhood 45 days to review and comment on the drainage and buffering plans, before they are implemented.

Published July 17, 2019

Pasco sets property tax rate for 2020 fiscal year

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted a tax rate for the 2020 fiscal year.

Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices that will be mailed out to property owners will reflect these rates:

TRIM notice:

  • Property tax: 7.6076
  • Municipal fire service unit: 1.8036
  • Jail (bond issue): .0277
  • Fire rescue (bond issue): .0222
  • Parks (bond issue): .0100
  • Library (bond issue): .0096

County Commission Aggregate Millage Rate: 9.3666

By law, the property tax rate on the TRIM notice can decrease but cannot increase before it’s adopted. The first public hearing is set for Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m., at the Historic Pasco Courthouse in Dade City

Overall, the county’s taxable values increased by 9.3 percent from its values last fiscal year, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

That 9.3 percent increase generates an additional $18.1 million in ad valorum tax revenues. The county has an agreement that provides half of that increase to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. The board and other constitutional officers receive the other half.

Sheriff Chris Nocco had built his budget on an assumption of a 9.5 percent increase, which had been predicted earlier, but that projection turned out to be too high.

So, the sheriff has trimmed his proposed budget by about $300,000 to comply with the agreement, Goehig said.

Under provisions of Florida’s Save Our Homes, a tax increase for a homesteaded property is capped at 3 percent, or the rate of inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. This year, the rate of inflation is 1.9 percent.

Published July 17, 2019

Serving up free lunches for kids this summer

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School may be out — but Pasco County Schools takes part in a program that provides free lunches to hungry children.

The program serves meals at various cafeterias, and at some pick-up locations, too.

Eight-year-old Harper Greer, of Wesley Chapel, gives a high-five to Ana Santana. On this day, the young girl had lunch with her siblings. (Christine Holtzman)

Megan Sexton, the food program’s coordinator, said Pasco was one of the first counties in Florida to implement mobile feeding.

The idea was to provide youths with a well-rounded meal close to their homes, especially when food is lacking at home or parents are at work.

“Transportation is a huge issue, especially in Zephyrhills, Dade City and some of the rural areas,” Sexton explained. “With these mobile feeding buses, we’re able to go to these communities, stop, let the kids get on the bus and eat.”

The pick-up spots consist of libraries, churches, parks and outside residential communities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds this program, which had already served 136,000 meals to kids throughout Pasco County as of the first week of July.

Two-year-old Jack Greer, of Wesley Chapel, eagerly tries to open his carton of milk. The youngster and his siblings enjoyed lunch on a recent afternoon outside of the New River Branch Library.

With the help of mobile food buses, this number is only expected to grow.

Six high-mileage school buses that were initially going to be retired, were retrofitted with tables so youths can eat in an air-conditioned space.

However, as the program began to expand in number, six vans were added to help distribute food throughout the county.

The vans don’t offer air-conditioned seating, but there are portable seats and tables, which are shaded by umbrellas.

That’s the setup at the New River Branch Library, in Wesley Chapel, where children recently were taking a lunch break.

It’s a convenient location for Patricia Buskey, and her son, Parker, who live behind the library.

“He loves school lunch, so he wanted to come out,” the mother said, with a chuckle. “He’s been coming almost every day.”

Like other kids, the 7-year-old from New River Elementary had fresh fruit, vegetables, chips and a sandwich.

Patti Collard, of Wesley Chapel, right, watches as her 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, enjoys her lunch.

Children can be selective with their items, placing foods they don’t want in the ‘share bin’ for other kids.

Patricia is glad Parker can get his favorite treats, but she also sees it as an opportunity for less-fortunate children.

“It’s so helpful,” she said. “There’s a lot of kids who need it. I know a lot of kids aren’t eating three meals a day at home.”

The county’s school system has made strides to improve the promotion of its program. This includes sending home flyers with students and advertising the program through social media like Facebook.

The school system also has partnered with the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger organization to distribute flyers to the public.

Sexton views the program as a way to help impoverished families, without singling them out.

She recalled an instance where a young girl with tears in her eyes hugged her after realizing she didn’t have to worry about how she was going to get lunch for the day.

“It really touches your heart when you realize this goes on right around us every day, and some of us are just oblivious to it,” Sexton noted.

Efforts to get the word out about the program are apparently paying off.

New River Library has benefited from these efforts. This year, it’s serving 60 to 70 kids a day, compared to an average of 20 a day last year, Sexton said.

Still, there are some who find out about the program, while they’re out and about.

That was the case with Patti Collard and daughter, Isabella.

“Actually we were just here at the library getting some books and just happened to walk past,” said Patti, a Wesley Chapel resident. “This is perfect timing.”

The mother noted she was glad there was a healthy selection, as she watched 4-year-old Isabella enjoy her watermelon, grapes and milk.

The lunch program is free for anyone age 18 and younger, and requires no registration. And, it’s open to all youths, whether they attend Pasco schools or not.

That was great news for Christopher Privett, 16, who is home-schooled and comes to the library with his family.

“We’ve been doing it almost every day that we can attend,” Privett said.

He added that he’s not picky, and he does enjoy a free lunch.

Sexton also attributes the program’s success to cafeteria staff who volunteer to work additional hours during the summer.

“Our staff is amazing,” she stated. “They do this all year-long. They have such a passion for these kids.”

The program runs through July 31.

For a list of cafeterias, pick-up sites or food items, call (813) 794-2480, text ‘FoodFL’ to 877-877, or visit SummerFoodPasco.net.

Summer food program
Where: To find a convenient cafeteria or pick-up spot, call (813) 794-2480, text ‘FoodFL’ to 877-877, or visit SummerFoodPasco.net.
When: Monday through Friday until July 31; Times vary by location.
Details: Youth 18 years old and under are offered free summer lunches.

Published July 17, 2019