The Laker/Lutz News

East Pasco Networking Group

Pasco County to reach 1 million by 2040?

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Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells gave a talk at a recent meeting of the East Pasco Networking Group, and offered a look at the county’s current growth — and what may be in store.

Wells, who has been in the appraiser’s office for 10 months, reminded the crowd that he’s continuing to learn.

Still, he offered a number of statistics that document the county’s rapid growth, and at least one forecast that expects it to continue to expand for the foreseeable future.

Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells Jr. was the featured guest speaker during an East Pasco Networking Group meeting at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Pasco County Property Appraiser)

He pointed to a study from the Urban Land Institute that predicted the county’s population could reach 1 million by 2040.

Whether or not that turns out to be true, the county is in the midst of a significant growth surge, Wells told those gathered for the meeting of the East Pasco Networking Group, at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in Zephyrhills.

“There’s just so much in the pipeline, it’s crazy, it really is,” Wells said. “You can see the growth; it’s unreal,” said Wells, who served years on the Pasco County Commission before being elected to his current post.

The county, which measures 868 square miles, has 301,000 parcels, Wells said.

It is currently averaging about 800 single-family permits a month, which equates to about 10,000 new permits for 2021-2022.

The county’s just value recently was measured at more than $52 billion, which is 13% more than last year.

Wells noted that 69% of the county’s property value is tied to residential, followed by commercial (7.4%), tangible personal property (6.6%) and government (4.2%).

The key to managing the county’s growth is for county leadership to continue to push for “smart development” through the use of Mixed-Use Trip Reduction Measures, referred to as MUTRM, he said.

That strategy calls for a mixed-use compact development pattern, incorporating various ways to get around.

He pointed to the Epperson Crystal Lagoon community in Wesley Chapel, as a solid example of this approach.

There, residents have access to most of their needs within the development, he said.

“They don’t have to come out any main roads. They can shop in there, work in there, play in there. Kids go to school in there, eventually. That’s the kind of communities we want to see.”

Although Pasco has been working to bring more jobs to the county, it continues to be a bedroom community, Wells said.

(In fact, County Administrator Dan Biles recently reported that 60% of the county’s workers travel to surrounding counties to work — up from the previous rate of 50%.)

But Pasco continues to work toward shedding its bedroom community image and has made progress in attracting some large employers.

TouchPoint Medical Inc., for instance, has a new $24 million global headquarters in Odessa. There also has been a number of Class A offices added, as well as warehouses and retail facilities.

Moffitt Cancer Center also will have a significant impact, when it establishes its 775-acre campus near the soon-to-open Ridge Road extension and Suncoast Parkway.

Moffitt’s Pasco campus will include lab, office and manufacturing space. It’s also expected to be a magnet for biotech and life sciences enterprises and innovation.

Job creation estimates vary, but Wells said it could yield as many as 25,000 jobs over its 20-year build-out, he said.

“Moffitt is going to be larger than downtown Tampa,” Wells said. “That should pretty much sum it up. It’s crazy. It’s exciting.”

A new apartment community, Avidity Living, is being built at State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells says apartment communities rank among the highest-valued properties in the county. (Fred Bellet)

Pasco’s apartment dilemma
Wells also shared his views on the county’s temporary moratorium on applications seeking new entitlements for apartment development.

The moratorium applies to new applications in an area primarily in Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore advocated for the temporary moratorium, to allow time to find out how many apartments are already entitled and how many are needed to meet market demands.

He has argued that approving too many apartments will lead to a glut on the market, which eventually could result in derelict buildings and associated problems.

Wells said he understands the moratorium decision, but emphasized there is a need for apartments in certain parts of the county.

“I feel the market decides those things, but my opinion doesn’t matter anymore, and I respect the board with the decision that they’ve made, and it’s not easy,” he said.

He continued, “It’s just about trying to do it a little smarter. You look at these apartment complexes, they don’t get any breaks. There is no homestead. They pay full tilt. They take up less space (than housing developments).”

Wells also pointed out apartments lead the way in construction value “by a pretty substantial margin.”

In fact, six of the 10 highest-valued commercial properties in the county are apartment complexes, he said.

Those include:

  • Lantower Cypress Creek: $75.29 million
  • Lotus at Starkey Ranch: $71.93 million
  • Horizon Wiregrass: $71.56 million
  • Tapestry Cypress Creek: $62.05 million
  • Trinity Exchange: $61.69 million
  • Lantower Asturia: $56.45 million).

Six of the largest commercial sales in the county also have been apartment developments, Wells said.

Those are:

  • Pier 8 at the Preserve: $100 million
  • Lotus at Starkey Ranch: $87 million
  • Tapestry Cypress Creek: $78.49 million
  • Parc at Wesley Chapel: $53.57 million
  • Worthington Court: $15.61 million

Updates within property appraiser’s office
Elsewhere, Wells shared the various changes within the property appraiser’s office since he was elected to replace Gary Joiner, who won the post in 2016, but chose not to seek a second term.

So far, Wells said, there have been updates to the website’s parcel database, based on input from industry professionals.

Property record searches now yield more detailed information, such as school versus non-school values and the sinkhole status, including the exact year a sinkhole was stabilized or remediated.

Wells also is working on making the website easier to navigate, noting: “The idea should be less clicks, not more,” he said.

Additionally, Wells has hired some employees from the private sector, including a licensed surveyor — something new for the office.

Wells said his office is required to inspect every property on a five-year cycle.

His 54 staffers handle about 5,500 parcels apiece, he said.

He also noted that his homestead fraud investigators added $69.5 million back to the tax roll in 2020 — equating to roughly $1.2 million in recovered revenue.

“There’s been a lot of things that we’ve found,” Wells said, noting one scheme that is used involves landlords having renters sign up for homestead exemptions on rental properties.

“There’s been a lot of things that we’ve found,” he said.

The investigative group works closely with the county’s municipalities and the sheriff’s office to track down illegal activities, the property appraiser said.

Published December 01, 2021

Pasco facing apartment shortage, commissioner says

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Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey tackled a number of key topics as the featured guest speaker of the East Pasco Networking Group’s breakfast meeting earlier this month at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.

She first addressed one of the more visible happenings — the county’s surging population growth, and its residential and commercial development.

“Obviously, you know, the county is on a tear,” Starkey opened to the group of a dozen-plus citizens during the Sept 14 gathering. “Florida’s No. 1 engine for growth is getting people to move here, and you see that happening in our county.

“We’re growing like crazy,” said Starkey, whose district seat includes southwest and south-central Pasco. “Every month we’re breaking the record on the amount of permits that we’re giving, compared to last year.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey was the featured guest speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s Sept. 14 meeting at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss)

The commissioner said she regularly receives calls from landowners who want to know if the county plans to approve their land to build apartments.

The commissioner said that Pasco is actually facing an apartment shortage, despite the many Class A luxury apartments that have gone up in recent years.

Yet, the commissioner emphasized that county leadership and decision-makers are becoming “very, very picky” on where new apartments will be placed in the area.

“We do not want to give up commercial and industrial property for apartments,” she said.

The Pasco County Commission currently has a mortarium in place for new applications for multifamily development, which includes a portion of the county that’s essentially in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Starkey said county leaders have instead encouraged would-be developers to build multi-family housing in more needed areas, such as Hudson, Holiday and along U.S. 19.

It has been a challenge, as Pasco’s apartment shortage is leading to steep rent increases, Starkey said.

The county needs to have affordable housing, particularly for first responders, public servants and working-class residents, Starkey said.

“Where are our policeman and our nurses and our teachers going to live? Because when this cycle comes around again and they go to sign a new lease, they’re going to be moving out.

“They’re going to be moving to Hernando (County), they’re going to be moving to Citrus (County), and they’re going to be driving down here, and I really worry about that, so there needs to be a balance,” she said.

The apartment development industry is having trouble keeping up with Pasco’s population surge, too.

Starkey noted experts in that field all but say they build only about 1,500 units per year in the county due to the equipment and logistical hurdles.

Besides being a bedroom community for many Hillsborough County workers, the county also has experienced an influx of people moving in from the Orlando area, Starkey observed.

She believes the Orlando influx can be attributed to that region’s hospitality industry taking a hit during the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Orlando is sending us people like crazy,” she said. “I’m thinking when all the hospitality stuff closed up, people left and came here.”

The commissioner also touched on various county road construction projects, including the delayed Diverging Diamond Interchange project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel.

This work stoppage was a result of contractor D.A.B. Constructors defaulting, and ultimately filing for bankruptcy and going out of business.

The diverging diamond project has since been assumed by a bond company and awarded to Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC.

“I was very glad to see, driving up here, that they were at work on the diverging diamond,” Starkey said. “It’s going to be at least a year behind, but it is moving again.”

The new estimated date of completion is the summer of 2022, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s website.

Published September 29, 2021

Pasco clerk fights for budget hike

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Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles has been in the news in recent weeks, as she pushes for a massive budget increase for her office.

She raised the issue again, during a July 13 talk with members of the East Pasco Networking Group at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.

Alvarez-Sowles is requesting about $13.3 million in her fiscal 2021-2022 budget, which represents nearly $9 million more than the constitutional officer’s budget this year.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles was the featured guest speaker during a July 13 East Pasco Networking Group meeting at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in Zephyrhills. (File)

She claims the budget hike is needed for her office to fulfill statutory responsibilities for the coming year.

Alvarez-Sowles also mentioned a timely concern.

She noted she anticipates an increased workload for her office with an influx of court trials and eviction notices, amid the easing of pandemic-related restrictions and moratoriums.

“I am concerned that when the court starts ramping up, being able to support the customers when that happens. I want to make sure that we’re there for them, and I don’t want to kill my staff at the same time, in providing those services,” Alvarez-Sowles said.

The clerk initially presented her budget increase request in an April 30 letter to Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley and his county board colleagues.

But, the county’s administration has pushed back against the request, particularly Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles and Pasco County Budget Director Robert Goehig.

The clerk said the additional funding is needed to satisfy Florida Statute 29.008, which addresses county funding of court-related functions.

Generally, the statute details “the county’s obligation to pay on certain things, for technology and for the court-related items that I’m not allowed by law to use my fee-funded budget from courts to pay for,” Alvarez-Sowles said.

Because of this finding, she reasoned, “I submitted a budget to the board that was a lot higher than it had ever been in prior years, ever.”

The breakdown of Alvarez-Sowles’ budgetary increase is as follows:

  • County funding of court-related local requirements computes to about $7.4 million
  • County funding of board and court-related technology costs (hardware, software, programming) totaling nearly $1.25 milllion
  • Increases for retirement costs and group health insurance, as well as a pay adjustment of 3%, totaling about $366,000

During the speaking engagement, Alvarez-Sowles told The Laker/Lutz News “the rub” or main disconnect between her office and county leadership “is agreeing on what is and what is not a local requirement,” particularly the $7.4 million request.

She contends the county is obligated to fund full-service expenses for the West Pasco Judicial Center courthouse annex in New Port Richey — as opposed to using the clerk’s fee-funded budget for civil and criminal jury trials, and so on.

Part of the disagreement, Alvarez-Sowles said, centers around state law only requiring one courthouse in the county seat, which is the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

With that, county officials have stated they’re not responsible for funding the West Pasco courthouse annex, Alvarez-Sowles explained.

She disagrees with their stance: “(They say) like, ‘There’s no way we’re responsible to pay for the (West Pasco) courthouse,’ and I’m saying, ‘Well, you could have one (courthouse in Dade City) and I wouldn’t have this many expenses,’ but we don’t, and you duplicated services, and I am doing double the work in some situations.”

Of lesser note, county administration has since agreed to fund 40% of the clerk’s information technology (IT) costs, or just under $500,000 of the roughly $1.2 million mark.

Alvarez-Sowles said that’s inadequate.

She claimed the county is obligated to fund technology for the multi-agency criminal justice system (which includes state attorney’s, public defender, courts and clerk).

The Pasco Clerk & Comptroller Office is seeking a $13.3 million budget for fiscal year 2021-2022 — an increase of nearly $9 million this year — in order to fulfill statutory responsibilities and provide adequate services countywide, the clerk says. (Courtesy of the Office of the Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller)

Said Alvarez-Sowles, “All of these services requires IT funding to be able to bring about, so I’m going to continue discussions with the county, because I really need that money for the technologies and things we have planned to serve our community.”

Alvarez-Sowles emphasized that she wants to ensure her office is “properly funded” in order to “provide a higher level of service, better services to our community, and I also want to provide the tools to the team.”

The constitutional officer, too, underscored the need to be able to offer higher salaries, from entry-level to supervisorial roles within the clerk structure.

The entry-level wage at the clerk’s office is $13.28 per hour.

This reality makes it tough to compete with area businesses and organizations offering around $15 an hour and, in some cases, paying potential employees to interview for vacancies, she said.

“I need to have competitive salaries,” said Alvarez-Sowles. “Our office is paid very low in our community, and even in comparison to other local government agencies in the community, so there is a big discrepancy.”

The situation has caused turnover and has made it difficult to fill vacancies.

Employees stay for a year or two and then transfer to another county role or up through the court or state attorney’s office, Alvarez-Sowles said.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the clerk’s office had about 320 employees, she said.

It’s since dropped down to 283 employees, she said.

That hampers her operations, she said.

“I feel like we are training ground (for other agencies), so I need to have longevity, and I need to be able to plan for succession, and be able to have a stellar team, so I need the funding to pay for the proper salaries,” she said.

During the breakfast talk, the clerk also touched on some ongoing initiatives in her office.

Those include:

  • Implementation of a multi-year strategic plan in regards to services and other projects
  • Partnership with Amscot, authorizing them to accept payments on behalf of the clerk’s office
  • Online payment expansion to include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and debit card capabilities (expected by November)
  • Development of a customer queue management system allowing residents to check wait times and make service appointments online
  • Provide affordable legal help and attorney consultations for self-represented individuals in civil matters related to divorce, residential landlord/tenant, small claims and so on
  • E-certification document capabilities for deeds, liens, closings and so on

In most jurisdictions, the clerk & comptroller is vested with a large number of administrative duties.

This includes clerk of the circuit court, as well as county auditor, ex-officio, clerk of the county commission, finance officer, recorder and treasurer.

Residents often use the clerk’s office to pay traffic and criminal fines, initiate or contest a civil case, pursue probate issues and make child support payments. The office also handles domestic violence injunctions, Baker Act and Marchman Act petitions, passport applications, marriage licenses and more.

Published August 04, 2021

Officials praise Pasco’s progress

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has personally witnessed how the area where he grew up and now governs has evolved over the past several decades.

Case in point: When Fasano moved with his family to the Holiday area some 50 years ago as a 12-year-old boy, he recalls seeing signage advertising homes selling for just $6,999.

That’s quite the far cry from today, with billboards promoting $300,000 to $500,000 residences along State Road 52 and 54.

“It’s just absolutely amazing where we’ve come over time,” said Fasano, speaking during an East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, left, stands alongside East Pasco Networking Group chairman Nils Lenz. Fasano was the featured guest speaker during a group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City. (Diane Kortus)

The area’s reputation also is changing, Fasano said.

“Pasco has changed over time, not only politically, but also as far as the businesses in Pasco County.

“We’re no longer the stepchild to Pinellas and Hillsborough (counties), if you will. We’re now looked at as a leading community, and you can see it, especially in the Wesley chapel area, the Land O’ Lakes area,” he said.

The emerging growth in Pasco and surrounding Tampa Bay area is being felt at the local tax collector’s office, too.

Fasano said the agency sees roughly 60,000 in-person customers per week across its five branch offices — in Dade City, Gulf Harbors, Land O’ Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel — not including additional services handled via phone, mail or website.

This is up from around 40,000 customers per week at only four branches when Fasano first was appointed to the role in 2013 by then Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and following 18 years served as a legislator in the Florida House and Senate.

Anticipating a forthcoming population boost, the agency swiftly opened a new branch back in August 2014, in Compark 75 at 4610 Pet Lane, just off Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

When it first opened, the office in southeast Pasco was serving just 50 customers per day, Fasano said.

It’s now averaging anywhere from 600 to 800 customers daily, and is the tax collector’s second-busiest office, he said.

With that, the agency also is considering opening up yet another office somewhere along State Road 54 or State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway “because that area is growing,” said Fasano.

“All you need to do is drive up, especially (State Road) 54, it’s luxury apartment complex after luxury apartment complex — a lot of them are younger families needing services, driver’s licenses, (because) they’re moving in from out of state,” he explained.

Busy offices are not just a byproduct of the county’s residential and business growth, however.

Some partly is due to word spreading that the Pasco Tax Collector doesn’t require appointments for service (except for road tests) and also welcomes out-of-county residents from surrounding Hernando, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Helping non-Pasco residents mitigates financial losses the agency takes on handling motor vehicle-related services, Fasano said, noting it’s Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that takes in most of those fees, and not the county.

The blanket, come-all service is something Fasano takes pride in — noting tax collectors in adjacent counties oftentimes require appointments two or three weeks in advance, while only serving their respective county residents.

“We welcome everyone,” Fasano said, proudly. “We have people that come up from Hillsborough County, pleading us, ‘Please don’t change it, please don’t change it,’ because they come up there, and wait maybe 30 minutes, 40 minutes or 45 minutes, and they’re able to get the service. It’s either wait 35 or 45 minutes, or you wait three weeks with Hillsborough County to get an appointment.”

Conversely, Fasano pointed out even the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office (and its eight branches) appreciates Pasco shouldering the workload.

“Hillsborough County loves us,” Fasano said.

“They’re happy that we’re taking their customers because it’s less people that have to make these appointments and yell at them down there.

“They, in fact, say to people, ‘Hey look, if you need something done right now, go up to Pasco.’”

The Pasco Tax Collector is open all five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., while 4 p.m. onward is reserved for Pasco residents only.

Pasco residents also can get service on Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the branches in Gulf Harbors and near Wesley Chapel.

“We wanted to make sure that Pasco residents have a day to themselves and that’s what happens on Saturday, and I will tell you that Pasco residents love it,” Fasano said.

He added: “I’ve got to make certain that we take care of our Pasco residents. They’re the ones that pay our salary, my salary, and the rest of our employees.”

The Pasco Tax Collector is mandated for a number of responsibilities, including providing driver licenses, auto registrations, property taxes, hunting and fishing permits, concealed weapons permits, birth certificates, fingerprints, vehicle identification checks, business receipt taxes and other services.

Fasano said the agency recently has witnessed an “an enormous amount” of title transfer on cars and boats, speculating it could be a result of stimulus dollars and returns on income taxes coming through.

The Gulf Harbors office recently handled over 800 boat titles in just one business day, he said.

“My staff tell me, after seeing all this title work on boats, they wonder if there’s boats out there to buy anymore, you know,” Fasano quipped.

Issuing concealed weapons permits also is bourgeoning, with Fasano pointing out the county leads in the state in terms of providing or renewing such permits: “It’s way ahead of every other county,” he said.

He then joked, “I think our office has armed everyone in Pasco.”

Prioritizing tax collector employees
One of Fasano’s more notable undertakings has been increasing wages and promotional opportunities for its some 200-plus employees at the tax collector’s office.

Starting salary was around $9 per hour when Fasano first arrived to the constitutional post.

“We had employees who were employed at our tax collector office for over 10 years collecting food stamps. Unacceptable. We changed that immediately,” he said.

Now the starting wage for an entry-level customer service representative is $16 per hour.

“Our employees are making a decent salary where they don’t have to reach out, and probably not need a second job any longer,” he said.

“I’ve had employees come to us and say they are now buying homes,” he added.

Fasano underscored the necessity to increase wages — to keep governmental effectiveness, reduce office turnover and otherwise “to let our employees know that they are important, that they are the key to keeping our county going.”

He observed, “Let’s remember this, we collect the taxes, and we provide those dollars to our board of county commissioners, to our school board, to mosquito control, to water district, to CDDs (community developmental districts), to paying those at the county collecting the street lights services and the road assessments, and the list goes on.

“If we’re not around, nobody can collect those dollars, so we needed to stay open to make certain that people were able to pay their taxes, and we could collect them and turn those dollars over to the taxing entities, and we’ve been successful in doing that.”

Meanwhile, Pasco County Chief Deputy Tax Collector Tim Couet has developed a leadership program where lower-level employees within the organization are identified by branch managers and directors for training for future advancement opportunities.

“We have made it a goal that when a new position of leadership opens up, we do not go outside our offices to hire someone,” Fasano said.

“If I have to go outside to Ohio or New York or wherever to hire somebody for a management position, for a director’s position, or for a supervisory position, I haven’t done my job.

“Two-hundred nine (employees), there has to be someone in there that’s qualified to take that job, and we’ve been successful over the past seven years. We’ve made it our policy that we will hire within.”

Published June 30, 2021

Pasco seeing tourism gains, road improvements

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Tourism is ramping up in Pasco County and considerable roadwork is underway, too, to make it easier for motorists to get around.

Those were the main messages delivered by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore at a meeting of the East Pasco Networking Group.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore was a featured guest speaker during an April 27 East Pasco Networking Group meeting at IHOP in Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

Moore, chairman of the Pasco County Tourist Development Council, described how well the 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County has been performing, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sports complex, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, has been attracting youth and amateur sporting events year-round since its August 2020 opening.

The indoor space can accommodate up to 17 different sports — including basketball, volleyball and cheerleading, or pickleball, futsal, wrestling, mixed martial arts, karate and others.

This widespread flexibility has seemingly been put to good use, with weekdays set aside for residents and weekends generally reserved for large-scale tournaments that can become family affairs, as parents and siblings road trip together.

Moore observed the complex is “constantly full.”

“Every single weekend there is a tournament there where people are coming from somewhere else,” he said. “There’s weekends where we get over 2,000 room nights for those tournaments. So, what happens? Hoteliers are obviously happy, supplying those jobs for our hotels. Those small businesses, restaurants, retail, gas pumps – everybody’s benefiting when you bring those people here.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore expressed optimism about the county’s tourism future, given amenities such as the 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, in Wesley Chapel. (File)

Moore also pointed to AdventHealth Center Ice, which has continued to be a major draw since opening in January 2017, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

At 150,000 square feet, it’s the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, with four full-size rinks and one kid-size rink.

It’s regarded for being the training grounds of the 2018 U.S. women’s national hockey team that went on to win an Olympic gold medal in PyeongChang, South Korea.

“The ice rink is incredible,” Moore said. “They have tournaments on the weekends, international tournaments, and people coming from Canada, South America, people coming from over in Europe to literally play hockey right here at Center Ice.”

Moore posited that such youth, amateur and community-focused facilities can yield very similar — if not greater — economic impact as a major professional sports franchise, such as the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which plays eight regular season home games, plus a few preseason and postseason contests.

“Those (facilities) have just as large of an impact as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing on Sunday, when you think about how many people are (cumulatively) traveling for those events, and especially when they’re every single weekend.

“Personally I think it’s so much better to have these types of facilities than a pro sports team, because it’s a year-round benefit for the businesses in Pasco County, not just eight times a year or 10 times a year.

“These people, they’re traveling with their families, too. These kids aren’t typically driving on their own, their whole family’s coming (to Pasco).”

Moore addressed a number of roadway infrastructure projects, like the State Road 54 widening from east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road in the Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills areas. (File)

Moore addressed other recreational and tourism developments, as well, such as the ongoing construction of a visitor’s center/bike hub in the heart of downtown Dade City, across from the Roy T. Hardy trailhead, at the corner of Church Avenue and Eighth Street.

The $250,000 project — expected to be complete in June — was funded by the county’s tourist development tax dollars.

The amenity is set to further motivate beginner and avid cyclists alike to stop in Dade City.

It also may serve as a driver for more organized road cycling races to the surrounding East Pasco area, too.

“We know how big biking is in this area,” Moore said. “You’ve got people coming from all over the country to Dade City, to ride those hills.”

Further on the tourism and recreation front, Moore mentioned an 18,000-square-foot indoor recreation center at Wesley Chapel District Park will be complete in July. The public-use facility will offer programming for basketball, volleyball and other activities for all ages. There’s meeting room space for clubs and other organizations, also. “That’s going to be beautiful,” Moore said of the forthcoming center.

Regarding road construction, Moore pointed out that many of the roads that traverse the county are state roads — and a considerable amount of work is being done to improve those roads.

Among them are construction projects on State Road 52, State Road 54, and an interchange improvement at State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

There’s also a new diamond interchange that will include a flyover ramp for westbound Overpass Road access onto southbound I-75.

To accommodate the new interchange, Overpass Road will be widened from two lanes to four lanes between the interstate and Old Pasco Road, and six lanes between the interstate and Boyette Road. Blair Drive will be realigned to connect with Old Pasco Road. McKendree Road will be realigned to connect with Boyette Road.

The $64 million design-built project aims to provide more relief to other exits off I-75, Moore said.

“When you think about people living in Dade City and San Antonio, and coming and living in that area, they’ll be able to get off that new overpass interchange and go right through Epperson Ranch and Connected City, and get right into Dade City, if they don’t want to take the next Dade City exit.”

Moore added the project’s contractor, The Middlesex Corporation, “is moving really fast,” with an estimated completion of summer 2023.

Meanwhile, the commissioner mentioned the county has another $6 million in state funds to support connection and widening projects along the U.S. 98/U.S. 301 corridor.

These “important” roadway upgrades should help alleviate freight truck traffic and allow for the movement of goods without jumping major highways, he explained.

Combined with the proximity to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, CSX Transportation Railroad, and an emerging light industrial manufacturing hub, the roadway plan “really helps when you think about the economy in this area,” he said.

Published May 19, 2021

Pasco County commissioner addresses measured growth, development

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Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore is well aware of the influx of countless new residents to the area he oversees.

After all, Moore was quick to acknowledge the county he oversees is one of the fastest-growing in the state, if not the entire nation, during a speaking engagement last month for the East Pasco Networking Group.

“If you drive down any road, you can probably tell that we are (rapidly growing) now,” Moore said, during the April 27 meeting at IHOP in Dade City.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore was a featured guest speaker at last month’s East Pasco Networking Group meeting at IHOP in Dade City. He addressed a number of countywide issues during his visit. (Kevin Weiss)

“People want to come to Pasco County.”

Besides what Moore considers to be “a happening place,” the elected official posited the following for why the county is experiencing such rapid growth: “I think we do a good job of keeping our taxes low and offering the same amount of services of the surrounding counties, if not more services that the surrounding counties offer, and I think we’ll continue to be able to do that.”

Moore — a small businesses owner who moved to Pasco in 2007 — further added that the county has emphasized public safety over the years, with support and resources for the county’s fire rescue and sheriff’s office, “and making sure those people were staying here, and not leaving.”

Moore, who represents District 2, explained, “When I first came here, people were leaving Pasco County to go work other places. Now, people from Hillsborough, Pinellas and those areas want to come to Pasco County. It’s just a fact. It’s awesome to see all these people that at one time left are saying, ‘Wow, we need to come back,’ or are telling their friends, ‘You need to go work in Pasco County,’ and that’s what we’re seeing on that side.”

Moore noted the county’s fiscal year 2020 permit numbers “skyrocketed,” despite the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residential permits were up 32% from fiscal year 2019, while commercial permits increased 16.7% compared to 2019, he said during the meeting.

Moreover, the commissioner noted Pasco processed more single-family home permits than Hillsborough during the final quarter of 2020.

“It goes to show you, people like what’s happening in Pasco County and want to come to Pasco County. And not only do they want to move here, but they want to move their businesses here,” he said.

Continuing on the topic of growth, at least one area of concern is the number of apartment complexes popping up throughout the county, particularly in Moore’s district spanning much of central Pasco and Wesley Chapel, and generally bordering the Hillsborough County line south, U.S. 41 westbound, State Road 52 northbound and all the way east to U.S. 301.

Moore has been vociferous during commission meetings about enacting a temporary moratorium on apartments in a portion of his district until county officials can tally the number of entitlements currently on the books.

“There’s nothing wrong with apartments,” Moore said, “but when you have an over-saturation of one product, it can lead to bad things down the road.

“We saw it happen not only with Hillsborough County, but we did a lot of research on areas across the nation, and it really comes to spot zoning these apartments on every corner, and what we’re doing is actually taking away valuable land that could be office/commercial and job creating sites, especially in a hot market like this. If you don’t have the land available that’s conducive to having those products there, they’re not going to come.”

Moore added he disagrees with those in the apartment development industry who claim the county continually needs more complexes to satisfy the area’s growth, because “the land’s already entitled to allow it to happen,” he said.

Of further concern is the possible blight of such complexes decades into the future, which could bring down surrounding property values and increase crime rates, Moore said.

Moore put it like this: “We have to be very conscious and careful going forward, of, ‘How much of that one product do we actually have?’ because 10 years down the road, now it’s all bright, shiny and new, but what about the ones that have been here 20 years? Who’s going to take care of those? Who’s going to live in those? Are they going to become dilapidated?”

Though all sorts of residential and commercial development is in the pipeline, the local decisionmaker pointed out roughly 22% of county land is protected through the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP).

ELAMP — created in July 2004 by county referendum — is responsible for purchasing environmentally sensitive lands throughout the county by either fee title or less-than-fee methods; funding is provided through a portion of the Penny For Pasco surtax.

“A lot of people don’t realize that, and that’s a big portion of the county, and it’s actually growing because there are still more funds available to do that,” Moore said.

“There’s land protected in Pasco, from east to west, north to south, that will never be built on, and will be there 100 years down the road for our great grandkids and great, great grandkids to enjoy.

“Some are passive park areas, obviously, and the public gets to typically have use of them, but it’s just land that’ll always be there and always be protected.”

ELAMP objectives, according to the county’s website, include the following:

  • Protect natural communities, including uplands and wetlands
  • Connect natural linkages
  • Conserve viable populations of native plants and animals
  • Protect habitat for listed species
  • Protect water resources and wetland systems
  • Protect unique natural resources
  • Enhance resource-based recreational opportunities
  • Expand environmental education opportunities

Published May 12, 2021

Zephyrhills councilwoman bullish on town’s outlook

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Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson has closely observed the evolution of the small-town East Pasco community over the past three decades.

The elected official and longtime resident is pleased, overall, with the current situation in the municipality — amid a period of rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the city’s major tackling points of late include:

  • The addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits
  • Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center
  • Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road
  • Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

This imminent progress can be traced to comprehensive plans solidified some 20 years ago, Wilkeson said during an East Pasco Networking Group meeting last month at IHOP in Dade City.

Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson (File)

Wilkeson, who is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa, credits the city’s “history of success” to “a series of elected leaders who’ve helped move Zephyrhills forward.”

“All of this is possible,” she added, “because we had a plan.”

Unopposed in this year’s municipal election, Wilkeson is set to embark on her fourth term — in total — of serving on the City Council. She was elected to a three-year term in April 2018 and previously served from 2008 to 2014. She also serves as board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Wilkeson’s gateway into local volunteerism public service began as a concerned Zephyrhills citizen about 20 years ago when she responded to a mail-in survey regarding city utilities and services, then writing a detailed note to city administration and leadership.

Wilkeson joked that the conscientious letter was “a fatal error,” as she was asked to meet with then longtime city manager Steve Spina and planning director Todd Vande Berg to gain the resident’s perspective on municipal operations and other happenings in the city. “The moment I wrote that note, they said, ‘Oh, she’s smart and she knows what we’re doing, we need to get her in here,” Wilkeson recalled during the March 9 breakfast meeting.

She subsequently was urged to serve on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission beginning in 2002, given her expertise as an interior architect, and ability to decipher building plans and drawings.

Later, she served on the Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board, from 2004 to 2008. She also was a volunteer board member for Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. — organizing parades, events promoting local CRA district businesses and otherwise helping preserve the city’s unique charm.

She was acknowledged for her contributions by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce who named her “Volunteer of the Year” in 2007.

While serving on the city’s planning commission, Wilkeson discovered Zephyrhills and surrounding Pasco County previously had been — as described — “giving away the farm.” In other words, the area had been receiving less than favorable or beneficial returns on utilities, properties, land deals and so on.

Since then, however, the town has undergone a more proactive shift.

She credits the city’s planners and public works team.

“We really raised the bar in terms of fees and accessibility, and that’s why these developers continue to want to come to our city, because they can get in front of somebody that knows what they’re talking about, and now we don’t give away the farm anymore, and it’s transforming the way our community looks. There are no more metal buildings on (U.S.) 301, (and) we have invested millions of dollars in our downtown district, and the Main Street and CRA,” she said.

As CRA board president, Wilkeson told the breakfast crowd about some of the enhancements to the city’s historic CRA district —  which is a  special taxing district that spans roughly 500 acres through the center spine of Zephyrhills.

In that district, future revenues from increased property values are set aside in a trust fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated CRA area.

Wilkeson detailed how these funds have been allocated toward business and residential façade grants, landscaping beautification, and maintaining the historical architecture of the area via special light fixtures, wayfinding signage and so on.

One program involves providing $5,000 grants to encourage the purchase of a single-family home within the CRA District. The idea is to spur purchases within distressed neighborhoods and to improve the owner-occupancy rate within the district. It also is meant to encourage a neighborhood friendly walkable community.

This initiative and other changes, Wilkeson said, have spurred Tampa Bay area families “who want to be able to roll their kids down in a stroller and watch a parade through downtown Main Street,” to purchase homes within the city’s CRA district. “These are people who are coming in from Tampa and St. Pete and saying, ‘We love the charm of your little community’ and they buy houses in the historic district,” she said.

Previously, Wilkeson said, “we were not reinvesting in this community and we had these older homes that were rentals, and they were a crime problem and a code enforcement problem.”

Wilkeson also expressed confidence in the city’s direction under the leadership of Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Poe was named Zephyrhills assistant city manager in November 2018, then stepped up to replace the retiring Spina come July 2019.

Poe, born and raised in Zephyrhills, began his career as an intern with city administration, then spent several years working as an assistant city planner. Poe went on to land a city manager role with Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

Wilkeson was part of the committee that ultimately selected Poe as Spina’s successor a couple years ago.

“Billy was a natural choice,” Wilkeson said. “He knew the city. He had 11 years (of) experience in Dade City as a city manager. It was a great launching pad for him to come to the city. He had a transition period with Steve Spina that helped him get everything up to speed and take over, and it’s been a nearly seamless transition.”

Published April 14, 2021

Growth is coming to Zephyrhills

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Activity is on the rise in the City of Zephyrhills — from multiple new housing developments, to myriad airport and roadway improvements, to the prospect of wholesale changes to its local 911 communication operations.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe offered a look at what’s happening in the city, during a speaking engagement at last month’s East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe was the guest speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s March 9 breakfast meeting, at IHOP in Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

The city’s residential development is booming, Poe said.

“You see it when you’re driving down the road, driving down (State Road) 56, everywhere you go, anywhere you go, you see the development happening,” he said, during the March 9 breakfast meeting.

There are nine housing developments totaling about 3,000 units on the books, Poe said. The housing styles include townhomes, single-family homes and apartments.

The additional housing is expected to bring an estimated 7,000 new residents to the municipality, when all is said and done, Poe said.

These developments are predominately situated beyond the Zephyr Commons Shopping Center and Walmart off Gall Boulevard, as well as around the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center along Simons Road. The projects are in varying stages, from preliminary plans to homes under construction, Poe said.

“Zephyrhills will definitely be changing as we move through this, God willing the economy stays the way it’s going for us,” Poe said.

Airport gets a lift
Several enhancements are coming to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, which spans some 900 acres of land donated to the city after World War II.

Most notable is moving forward with the extension of Runway 1-19. It’s increasing to 6,200 feet, up from 4,700 feet.

The longer runway will accommodate larger corporate jets and will bolster industry in the surrounding airport vicinity. It also will provide support, in the long-term, for an industrial corridor, in the area of Chancey Road.

The Runway 1-19 project also calls for a Taxiway B extension, paved runway shoulders and construction of an access road.

The $6.5 million runway extension project, funded via state appropriations and Penny for Pasco, is expected to be completed in November. The city recently awarded a construction bid to Plant City-based C.W. Roberts Contracting for the work.

Poe detailed how instrumental State Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby was in securing funding, given that improved transportation via air travel is one of Florida’s long-range goals for its communities.

Poe put it this way: “Sen. Simpson helped push this project forward, because he saw the importance of having a longer runway and being able to bring in those corporate jets to Zephyrhills.”

Poe also emphasized that the move isn’t a preamble for the airport to eventually expand into  a cargo hub — something recently implemented at Lakeland’s Linder International Airport in partnership with Amazon.

“There’s been some rumblings that, ‘Hey we’re going to go try to look like Lakeland and try to get cargo jets and all that.’ That is not true. Our goal is to be the best general aviation airport around,” Poe said.

For that scenario to even be considered, Poe said, the airport would need to install a tower and an Airport Rescue and Firefighting Station (ARFF) to clear zones and angles, among other considerations. “A lot of things that would have to be done,” he said. “Now, if somebody wants to come in and pay for that, we can have a conversation, (but) the city is not doing that.”

Other boosts are planned for the airport, too.

This includes upgrading its fuel farm, which features a pair of 20,000-gallon tanks some 25 years old. Poe said the state is funding 80% of the fuel farm upgrade, while the city is on the hook for 20%. The bid for this project is expected to be awarded in May.

There’s also plans to rehabilitate Taxiway A — which runs along Runway 5-23 — due to asphalt pavement reaching the end of its useful life. The project is currently in the design phase with projected construction coming in November. Poe said the FAA will fund 90% of the $3.3 million project, with the FDOT (8%) and the city (2%) contributing the remaining sum. “We would not be able to do it without partnerships with DOT, FAA, the state, all of those different grant dollars,” he said.

Installing some more corporate hangars at the airport is another objective, among others Poe said.

Roadwork improvements en route
Aside from the airport, several roadwork projects also are in the pipeline for the burgeoning East Pasco municipality.

Among other roadway improvements, the city has entered the design phase for paving the remaining northern portion of Simons Road, from the Links of Silver Oaks subdivision to Fort King Road. It will create a continuous north-south connector linking Eiland Boulevard to Fort King Road. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The city manager said activity is well underway on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project, which calls for the relocation of an existing signalized intersection from the shopping plaza entrance to Pretty Pond Road, a signalized intersection at Medical Arts Court, and all other required roadway improvements. The addition of signalized intersections at these locations serves to improve the mobility of the northeast section of the city, and become an economic driver for the northeast and northwest corners of Pretty Pond to be developed into a national grocery store, national chain hotel, pet supply store and chain restaurants.

The $2.3 million project is fully funded through a state appropriation.

Meantime, the city has entered the design phase to pave the remaining northern portion of Simons Road, from the Links of Silver Oaks subdivision to Fort King Road, making a continuous north-south connector linking Eiland Boulevard to Fort King Road. Upon completion, residents living on the north end of town will have another option onto Eiland Boulevard, and otherwise helping eliminate congested traffic.

The city manager expects the Simons Road construction project to bid out around October, adding “hopefully by this time next year that road will be open.”

He explained the reason the city didn’t pave the entire road all at once was due to obstructing Duke Energy transmission poles. Now, the utilities company is in the process of relocating those poles at no cost to the city, Poe said, noting it would’ve cost the city around $2 million to move them at the time a couple years ago. “The city works very hard to get those grant dollars and tries to stretch the taxpayer dollars as far as we possibly can,” he said.

He added the city also is seeking grant funding, plus partnerships with the county and Lennar development to add a traffic signal at the Simons Road/Eiland Boulevard intersection, to alleviate traffic coming to and from the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road.

Elsewhere, the city plans to extend Dean Dairy Road from Pretty Pond Road north to Kossick Road. This action, Poe said would “help alleviate some of the traffic going up onto U.S. 301 and being able to access (Zephyr Commons) Publix and things from that back road.”

Poe otherwise detailed how the city spends roughly $400,000 per year repaving and rehabbing its local roadway network, using techniques like full-depth reclamation and micro seal to extend their useful life. The city’s streets department otherwise maintains roughly 66 miles of roadways throughout Zephyrhills, the city manager said.

Published April 07, 2021

City manager recaps possible 911 dispatch merger

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During a recent breakfast meeting with the East Pasco Networking Group, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe briefed those gathered on the city’s current consideration of combining its  911 police communications system with the Pasco County Department of Emergency Services in New Port Richey.

The looming decision “has nothing to do with finances,” Poe said.

Instead, he said, it is “all about officer safety, citizen safety.”

The City of Zephyrhills is in talks to combine its 911 police communications system with Pasco County operations. (File)

The move would essentially create a centrally located communications center for all emergency personnel and shared CAD/RMS (computer-aided dispatch systems and records management systems), to eliminate 911 calls being answered by dispatches from the Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) and Pasco Sheriff’s Office — and the need to transfer wireless callers between agencies.

A full dispatch consolidation model would mirror what’s now in place at the Dade City Police Department, which joined Pasco’s 911 system in 2015.

Under this setup, the county handles all 911 calls, prioritizing calls by importance and dispatching the closest city or county units accordingly, on the same radio frequency. At the same time, Dade City police employees answer all non-emergency calls.

Poe was city manager of Dade City when the systems were combined.

He underscored the benefits of the shift. It has improved communication channels between agencies and has provided access to important records to individuals or suspects crossing jurisdictional boundaries between the city and the county.

For instance, it allows the agencies to have background on someone’s previous encounters with law enforcement entities, such as knowing if there’s a documented history of fighting or resisting arrest with personnel from the Zephyrhills and Dade City police departments, or the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

It also has proven to be beneficial in terms of law enforcement response, he said.

He cited an incident involving the report of a gun at a Dade City area McDonald’s. Seven nearby  sheriff’s deputies and four on-duty Dade City police officers responded immediately to the scene without incident.

“I like to think it works well,” Poe surmised, regarding the merged communications system.

Meanwhile, the city manager dispelled any conjecture that a 911 system consolidation is a means to eventually disband Zephyrhills Police into sheriff’s office operations, similar to the merger that happened with the city’s fire department.

“There’s zero percent chance that the police department will merge with Pasco County,” said Poe.

The city manager said he has a great relationship with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, but noted they cannot offer the same level of service to residents of Zephyrhills as the local police department provides.

That’s because of the number and types of calls that the Sheriff’s Office must respond to, Poe explained.

“Consolidated dispatch, has nothing to do with the rest of the department. We are not looking to get rid of our police department. That is not the case at all. It is solely communications, and it is all about officer safety and citizen safety,” Poe said.

The Zephyrhills City Council, however, voted last September to consolidate its local fire department into Pasco County Fire Rescue — whereby the county assumed control of two stations on Sixth Avenue and Dean Dairy Road.

“That was not a fun thing to go through,” Poe said.

“I know council didn’t like it,” Poe said, referring to the decision to end the city’s independent fire department that had served the city for more than 100 years.

However, Poe said, in contracting out fire service responsibilities to Pasco County, both area stations now have an ambulance and increased staffing.

Response times were another consideration.

“It just made sense to have one responding agency, because they space it out, they know what they’re doing, they space them so they have minimal response times for each station, and so to be able to add two stations to the mix was huge for Pasco County…and I think the residents won,” Poe said.

The two former fire stations have been renamed, but the fire trucks retain some local flavor, with signage that indicates they are serving the City of Zephyrhills.

Poe said there also are plans to add another Pasco County Fire Rescue Station in Zephyrhills within the next few years, at the corner of Chancey Road and Yonkers Boulevard. When that comes online, Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 18 in Crystal Springs will be abandoned, he said.

That’s important because the city has never had three fire stations in the area, Poe said.

Published April 07, 2021

Elections supervisor encourages early voting, vote by mail

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For Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley, it’s quite the busy time of year.

His agency on Sept. 24 sent out its mass mailing of approximately120,000 vote-by-mail ballots to residents — roughly a third of the agency’s voter registry file — for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.

Simultaneously, the elections office is readying early voting sites.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley was the featured speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group meeting earlier this month. (File)

The early voting cycle will run for 13 days from Oct. 19 through Oct. 31, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day.

The county added three new early sites bringing its total up to record-high 14 locations for the presidential election, said Corley, who was the guest speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group  meeting at IHOP in Dade City this month.

New sites include Veterans Memorial Park gymnasium in Hudson; J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex in Hudson; and, the newly opened Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel.

Another early voting site change — the larger Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex gymnasium will be used in place of the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on Collier Parkway, typically the county’s most heavily trafficked site, Corley said.

The elections leader credited Pasco County administrator Dan Biles for approving the early voting location additions and changes — particularly the one in Land O’ Lakes — in the name of accommodating more voters and allowing for social distancing protocols.

“We like big rooms for early voting sites,” Corley told the audience. “Basically, we’re going to be using the (Land O’ Lakes) gymnasium for 13 days. That’s a big ask for the county.”

With that, Corley assured there’s myriad measures in place to ensure the safety of poll workers and voters alike, in regards to the coronavirus.

That includes installation of plexiglass shields around electronic poll books, one-use styluses, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and spacing booths further apart. Many of those procedures helped the August primaries go “very, very smoothly,” Corley noted.

The elections supervisor would go on to discuss the county’s vote-by-mail processes — assuring it’s a safe and secure method to utilize for eligible voters.

He pointed out his agency was the first in the state to implement “Ballot Scout,” a tool which uses scan data for voters to track the delivery of their vote-by-mail ballot through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Voters can view the status of their ballot as being mailed, in transit, or delivered, via text or email notifications.

“You can track your ballot like an Amazon package,” said Corley. “You can see when we sent it out. On our end, we can tell you exactly where it is. When it comes to our office, it’ll automatically text you, ‘We got your ballot back.’”

(File)

Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested up to 5 p.m., Oct. 24 at PascoVotes.com, calling (800) 851-8754, or in writing to P.O. Box 300 Dade City, Florida, 33526.

Also on the topic, Corley defended the postal service, which has been politicized in recent months over nationwide concerns about rejected or uncounted mailing ballots.

To avert those issues, the earlier a ballot is mailed, the better, Corley emphasized.

Because vote-by-mail ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m., on Election Day, Corley said, it’s an unwise proposition for someone to postmark a ballot the actual day of the election and expect it to be delivered in time of the deadline.

As an example, placing a ballot in the mailbox at, say, noon on election day may result in your vote not being counted, he said. He noted there were about 600 uncounted ballots returned to his office after 7 p.m., on the date of the Aug. 18 primary.

“That’s not the USPS’s fault,” Corley said. “Let the voter take some responsibility, and get it back early.”

Those who remain leery about vote by mail, or uncomfortable stepping indoors to cast their vote, there’s also an option to bring an absentee ballot to early voting site drop boxes staffed by poll deputies, Corley explained. Ballots in the drop boxes are securely returned to the elections office headquarters at the end of each day.

“It’s like you’re literally handing it to one of my staff — it doesn’t get any more secure than that,” Corley said.

The elections supervisor also talked about the importance of his agency cultivating important partnerships with other county government agencies, such as the school district, sheriff’s office, tax collector’s office and clerk’s office.

That came to a head in this year’s municipal and primary elections, when the agency had some 300 poll workers opt out amid fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The county’s average poll worker age is 66 years old, Corley said.) “I couldn’t blame them,” he said.

To help make up for the shortage, Corley enlisted help from Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, who sent a memo asking if any district employees wanted to fill in as poll workers.

The interest, response and results were overwhelming positive, the elections supervisor said.

“We had more than we needed,” Corley said. “We had teachers, school personnel that had never been a poll worker, never had any training, show up on election day and then hit it out of the park for us.”

Voting in Pasco and Hillsborough counties
The deadline is Oct. 5 to register for the Nov. 3 General Election.

Early voting in Pasco County is Oct. 19 through Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day. The county has a record-high 14 early voting sites. To find out more, visit PascoVotes.org.

Early voting in Hillsborough County is Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day. Hillsborough County has 26 early voting sites. To find out more, visit VoteHillsborough.org.

Published September 30, 2020