By Kyle LoJacono
The Pasco County commissioners voted a resounding no to diverting $700,000 from the local Habitat for Humanity chapter for a project in the Ten Oaks Community.
The commissioners voted 4-0 to reject the proposal. Commissioner Ted Schrader recused himself from the vote and even the discussion, as his brother Tom has a financial interest in the Zephyrhills private neighborhood of Eiland Boulevard.
The county agreed to give $700,000 in 2008 for a project to give affordable housing to government workers, such as teachers, law enforcement officers and fire rescue personnel, in Ten Oaks. The idea was to help keep high housing value from soaring out of the price range of the public workers.
The Florida Legislature stepped in and gave Pasco a grant to pay for the project, but backed out of the deal as the housing market crash reduced taxable revenue across the state. It was suggested the money could come out of the county’s Neighborhood Stabilization Project funding, which was designated for Habitat for Humanity East and Central Pasco’s Lacoochee project.
“We looked at it hard and long, and I will tell you we were conflicted on what to do here,” said Pasco budget director Michael Nurrenbrock.
One of the biggest events for the Lacoochee project is Women Build Week, when women volunteer to help build homes for Habitat families around Mother’s Day. The event begins April 30 and runs through May 8. Stephanie Black, Habitat’s local spokeswoman, said the loss of money would have put the event in great danger of being cancelled.
“Fortunately we didn’t have to go down that road,” Black said.
Habitat’s local CEO John Finnerty said all the event’s goals are going on as planned.
“We’ve got two houses with the floors already in,” Finnerty said. “We have demolished a couple of houses, and we’re pulling two more permits in.”
The event was one of the reasons the commissioners rejected the proposal.
“We didn’t want to cancel an event that will help people in east Pasco because of a deal made under a very different set of circumstances,” said Commissioner Jack Mariano. “The state cut the money and the housing market changed. I wasn’t comfortable going forward with the proposal.”
The commissioners said the Ten Oaks project is not yet dead, but Nurrenbrock said he does not know where the money will come from given he is projecting about a $5 million budget shortfall for next year.
“It’ll be more tough decisions that will have to be made,” Nurrenbrock said.
For more information on Habitat, visit www.ephabitat.org.
