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Pasco County Tax Collector

Labor Day closings in Pasco

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Pasco County government offices, including the constitutional offices and the courts will be closed on Labor Day, which is Sept. 7.  Those offices that are offering limited services due to COVID-19 will reopen on Sept. 8, according to a Pasco County news release.
Also, the courts that are maintaining limited services as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will reopen Sept. 8.

The county’s Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources’ offices, recreation complexes and community centers also will be closed on Sept. 7. However, parks and beaches will be open, dawn to dusk.

The county’s public transportation, libraries, and animal services shelter and field services will be closed on Sept. 7, too. An animal control officer will be available for emergencies.

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office and the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County also will be closed on Labor Day.

Published September 02, 2020

Pasco Tax Collector’s Office back in business

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After closing its doors for nearly a month amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pasco County Tax Collector’s five countywide branches are back open for business.

And, they’ve been quite busy ever since reopening, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano said during an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting earlier this month.

Besides handling various tax payments, Fasano said his office has had an influx of other requests of late, such as road tests for driving licenses, hunting and fishing licenses, issuing applications and renewals for concealed weapons permits, and more.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano was the featured speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting earlier this month. (Courtesy of Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office)

In fact, concealed weapons permits, specifically, have shot up in recent weeks, he said.

Concealed weapons permits are offered at three of the county tax collector’s five offices — in Dade City, Wesley Chapel and Gulf Harbors, respectively.

And, those offices recently have been “overwhelmed” with the number of people seeking concealed weapons permits, Fasano said. Over 100 permits were issued each weekday in the first week of June alone, he said.

Fasano observed of the influx: “I won’t expand as to why, I can only assume, of what is happening throughout this country and throughout this world. This happens a lot, whenever there’s some unrest, of any sort, we see a large population of people coming in, old, young, and they’ve come into our three offices that we provide weapons permits.”

Fasano added “the vast majority” of weapons permits issued are from people who’ve never had one before, while some others were simply renewals. He went on to mention the three branches provide a “one-stop shop” in offering applications, fingerprints, photographs and related services for concealed weapons permits; it usually takes a few weeks for new permits to be issued, pending state approval, he said.

Revenue shortfall, payment assistance programs
While tax collector’s offices and lobbies were closed for much of April, the government agency did provide many services through its website, call center and by mail.

However, the agency still took a “significant revenue loss” during that period in most everything but property taxes, Fasano said. That included fees collected from providing motor vehicle services, title work, birth certificates, concealed weapons permits and so on.

But, despite the shortfall in fees, Fasano noted his office didn’t have to lay off or furlough any of its 200 or so employees.

Said Fasano, “We were able to do things so that no one got laid off, no one lost their job, no one had to collect unemployment, and everybody stayed in their position, working every day, five days a week, and it’s been successful.”

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office has reopened all five of its countywide branches.

Meanwhile, for those residents who’ve been laid off or furloughed in the wake of COVID-19, the tax office has multiple payment assistance programs for those struggling.

Fasano mentioned there’s quarterly property tax payment plans, as well as partial payment options, where residents can pay increments of at least $100 at a time.

As a sign of the present economic hardships, Fasano noted his office has been forced to issue roughly 1,000 more tax lien certificates (an enforceable first lien against the property for unpaid real estate taxes) compared to this time last year.

“We had a lot of phone calls from people who were having some difficulty paying their taxes this year,” Fasano said. “It’s just a sad situation for everybody.”

COVID-19 safety measures implemented
The tax collector also outlined how each branch has taken additional safety precautions since reopening, in the wake of COVID-19.

Those precautions have entailed spreading chairs 6 feet apart; installing countertop shields to create a barrier between representatives and customers; encouraging — but not mandating — customers to wear masks; and, limiting the amount of customers in the office at any one time.

Additionally, tax collector has developed a text message notification system that alerts waiting customers when they’re ready to be serviced. The technology provides an added layer of social distancing, Fasano said, as customers can choose to sit in their car or wait outside until they’re alerted that their ticket number will be called shortly. It’s similar to how restaurants sends texts to guests for waitlist updates and automatic reservation reminders, he said. The service is already underway at the Wesley Chapel office, and should be available at all five offices in forthcoming weeks, Fasano said.

Said Fasano, “We think that’s going to go a long way in, I hope, in more social distancing and trying to comply with the governor’s (Ron DeSantis) suggestions.”

For more information, visit PascoTaxes.com.

Published July 1, 2020

Tax collector offices reopen lobbies

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The Pasco County Tax Collector’s five offices have again begun to offer in-person lobby services, as of May 4. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Gulf Harbors and Wesley Chapel locations reopened on Saturdays, as of May 9, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, to serve Pasco County residents only.

Each office will maintain social distancing standards, such as limiting the number of individuals allowed in the office at one time.

Dealers may drop off and pick up work through the VIN check/drive-thru, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

No over-the-counter dealer work will be permitted.

These services will still not be available at this time: road tests, non-U.S., non-Pasco residents, and interpreter testing.

Customers are requested to wear face masks if at all possible, to protect themselves and those around them.

For information and updates, visit PascoTaxes.com, or call (813) 235-6076, (727) 847-8032 or (352) 521-4338.

Published May 13, 2020

Tax collector suspends lobby service

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As of March 24, lobby service at all five locations of the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office has been suspended, temporarily, according to a news release.

Due to the severity and uncertainty of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak, no in-person transactions will be conducted.

In lieu of lobby service, the five offices has begin to provide certain transactions through drive-thru services. These transactions are limited to automobile, boat and mobile home registration renewals, property tax payments and disabled parking permit applications.

Dealers may drop off work and expect it to be ready within 48 hours.

Customers should look for signs indicating the drive-thru area at each office.

Drive-thru services will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The countywide tax collector’s call center will continue to operate during the time of the lobby closures, with the same hours as the drive-thru services.

For call center assistance, dial (727) 847-8032, (813) 235-6076 or (352) 521-4338.

Since most driver’s licenses and state-issued identification cards require an in-person transaction, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order that grants a 30-day extension of the due date for renewing those documents, which may currently be set to expire on or before April 15.

Any stops or holds that are currently on a driver’s license will not be removed by this executive order.

Customers are encouraged to utilize mail and online services, whenever possible.

To renew automobile registrations, visit PascoTaxes.com or GoRenew.com.

Published April 1, 2020

Compark 75 sold to Atlanta investors

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Compark 75, a Class A industrial park off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, is under new ownership, according to a news release from Cushman & Wakefield.

Rick Brugge, executive director of Cushman & Wakefield

The real estate services company negotiated the sale of five buildings at the park to MDH Atlantic Acquisitions LLC. The Atlanta-based real estate investment company has more than 11 million square feet of properties in the southeastern United States.

Rick Brugge, executive director of Cushman & Wakefield; Mike Davis, vice chairman; and Michael Lerner, executive director, negotiated the sale as part of Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets team. They represented HR Pasco LLP, and closed the deal in November.

The sales price was not made available.

According to the news release, Compark 75 is the only Class A facility currently serving the northeast Tampa Bay area, including north Hillsborough and south Pasco counties.

“It tends to attract very good leases and a high quality of tenants,” said Brugge, president of Cushman & Wakefield.

Compark 75 has about 286,000 square feet in five small-bay, light industrial buildings.  The buildings are about 91 percent occupied, with about 26,000 square feet available for lease.

The space could be suitable for two to three new tenants, said Brugge.

Current tenants include the Pasco County Tax Collector, U.S. General Services Administration, Ortho Technology, Morgan Auto Group and Streetside Classics.

The 165-acre site is zoned industrial, and is suitable for warehouse, manufacturing and office uses. About 105 acres is a wetlands and conservation area.

The five buildings were built between 2007 and 2016, using “tilt-wall” construction, where concrete panels are poured on site and later tilted into place. Suites range from 3,300 square feet to more than 41,000 square feet. Features include rear-loading docks, 18-foot to 24-foot clear heights, early suppression fire sprinkler systems and 118-foot truck courts.

Compark 75 recently sold to an Atlanta-based investment company, MDH Atlantic Acquisitions LLC. The park has five industrial buildings that are close to fully occupied. (Courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield)

While the park is largely leased to tenants, two industrial condominiums under private business ownership are located at Compark 75. They weren’t included in the sale.

The Pet Lane mailing address for Compark 75 puts it in Lutz, but the 165-acre site is located off County Road 54 (Wesley Chapel Boulevard), about halfway between the interchanges of State Road 54 and State Road 56, with Interstate 75.

Suncoast Parkway is about 12 miles to the west. And, the Tampa Aero Park is on the park’s northern boundary.

The park provides diversity to the central Pasco area, which is booming with residential and retail development, such as The Shops at Wiregrass, Estancia, Bexley, and Tampa Premium Outlets.

In 2014 owner Larry Morgan launched a $15 million expansion of the privately-developed park. Morgan is the founder of Tires Plus, and his family-owned business has several automobile dealerships. Gov. Rick Scott attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion.

The construction marked the first major investment in commercial office construction in Pasco County since the real estate crash in 2008.

Published January 10, 2018

Compark 75 plans expansion in 2016

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Compark 75 is growing again.

The industrial park, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, will add a new 65,000-square-foot building to four buildings that are already leased almost to capacity.

The permitting process for the new structure is under way, with construction set for 2016.

Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016. (File Photo)
Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016.
(File Photo)

No tenant has signed on yet, but that’s typical for an industrial park that, from the start, has proved that location and the right market conditions will produce results.

“All of our tenants have come after the building was built,” said Heidi Tuttle-Beisner of Commercial Asset Partners Realty, an agent for the property. “They feel confident in the level of activity.”

In October, Compark 75 will welcome two new tenants.

Streetside Classics Cars specializes in the consignment, purchase and sale of classic and collectible cars. Compark 75 is its fourth showroom. Other locations are in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta.

An orthodontics distribution company also will relocate from Tampa into about 41,000 square feet of space at Compark 75.

The company name has not been announced, but Tuttle-Beisner said, “It’s a high-end, incredible company.”

The office park is strategically located next to Interstate 75 about halfway between the State Road 54 and State Road 56 interchanges.

Suncoast Parkway is 12 miles to the west. The Tampa North Aero Park is along the park’s northern boundary.

A $15 million expansion of Compark 75 broke ground in 2014. It was the first major investment in commercial office construction in Pasco County since the recession.

Ross Kirk, owner of KVR Development LLC, handles the development and design of the park. Larry Morgan, president of HR Pasco LLP, owns the park.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

The 165-acre site is zoned light industrial and can accommodate warehouse, manufacturing and office uses. About 105 acres is wetlands, which will not be developed.

“It will remain the greenest industrial park in the Tampa Bay area,” she said.

Among tenants at the park are the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office and the U.S. Geological Survey Florida Water Science Center.

Nearly two years ago, J.T.D. Enterprises relocated from Michigan to Compark 75. The company manufactures tubular fabrications and assemblies used in products such as golf ball retrievers and flagpoles. Its products also are applicable to defense technologies.

Companies attracted to Compark 75 generally are looking to expand in locations that offer easy access to the interstate system, and they find that in Pasco, Tuttle-Beisner said.

The area’s attractiveness also is being helped by retail development along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridors.

The Shops at Wiregrass and the soon-to-open Tampa Premium Outlets are adding amenities and jobs to the area. But Tuttle-Beisner noted: “All the jobs can’t be retail.”

Compark 75 is helping diversify Pasco’s economy by bringing manufacturing and distribution companies into the mix.

“There is nothing else out there like this,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

Published July 29, 2015

Fasano raises $3,400 for diabetes research

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The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office raised more than $3,400 for diabetes research during National Diabetes Awareness Month in November.

The money was donated to Terri’s Tears Charitable Trust Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting research that seeks a cure for diabetes. It is a Pasco County-based organization founded to honor the memory of Mary Theresa “Terri” Garofolo, a Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetic for more than 35 years.

It is estimated that more than 1 million Floridians have diabetes, the tax collector’s office said in a release, and that another 30,000 children and young adults are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes annually.

“For our first partnership with Mr. Fasano and the tax collector’s office, this is amazing,” said Vince Garofolo, founder of Terri’s Tears, about the tax collector, Mike Fasano, in a release. “The citizens of Pasco County showed not only their generosity, but also a genuine concern to help the cause.

“I’m sure Terri is looking down on us today with a beautiful smile on her face.”

“There probably is not a person or family who has not been impacted by diabetes in some form,” Fasano said, in a release. “As an agency, we are very proud of the efforts of Vince Garofolo and the trustees of Terri’s Tears Charitable Trust Foundation for their work to help find a cure for this disease. The people of Pasco County truly stepped up to show their support of the foundation’s efforts to find a cure for diabetes.

“I truly thank everyone who took the time to come to our office to make a donation. Every dollar raised will bring diabetes research one step closer to finding either a cure or better treatment options for those afflicted.”

Pasco government offices to close over holidays

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Most Pasco County government offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 27, as well as the Friday afterward on Nov. 28. Most will reopen on Dec. 1, if not the Saturday before.

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office, however, will also be closed Nov. 29, and not reopen until Dec. 1. The Pasco County libraries, however, will reopen that Saturday.

Although parks and recreation centers will be closed Thursday and Friday, parks and beaches will be open both days from dawn to dusk.

The shelter at Pasco County Animal Services will be closed Nov. 27 and Nov. 28, however an animal control officer will be available for emergencies. The shelter will reopen Nov. 29 at noon, and stay open until 6:30 p.m.

Buses will not run on Thursday or Friday, but will resume on Nov. 29.

The Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility as well as the East Pasco Transfer Station will be closed to both the public and commercial haulers on Nov. 27, but will reopen to licensed commercial haulers on Nov. 28. They will full reopen to the public on Nov. 29.

Toys for Tots collection begins

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Christmas time is just around the corner, and the campaign by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve has started to collect toys for children.

The first Toys for Tots collection drive will take place at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s offices in Land O’ Lakes, Dade City and Lutz. The west side offices will begin their drives in December.

Toys for Tots was created to help less fortunate children in communities enjoy a better holiday season. The program seeks new, unwrapped gifts for children and teenagers. Toys donated by members of any given community will be given to children in that community.

“I applaud the veterans and volunteers from Toys for Tots who give so much time to help the less fortunate children in Pasco County,” Tax Collector Mike Fasano said, in a release. “I encourage everyone who has a heart for children to consider dropping off a gift at one of our offices. The generosity of our friends and neighbors will go a long way towards making this a special holiday season for countless kids who may not otherwise receive a nice gift this year.”

Throughout November, toys can be donated to the Land O’ Lakes office at the Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes; 4610 Pet Lane, C101, in Lutz; and at the East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Room 100, in Dade City.