NEW PORT RICHEY – Leaders in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have each agreed on the structure for a regional group that will plan major transportation projects.
Each county currently operates its own Metropolitan Planning Organization, but the MPOs have been in talks for many years about consolidating to take a more regional approach to transportation planning.
“A single MPO amplifies public input and participation,” explained Tania Gorman, executive director for the Pasco MPO, to her board on May 21. “And then we’re a unified decision-making body to be looked at as not just three single MPOs but one large MPO so that we can possibly get more discretionary funds and be a part of the larger discussions here in the Tampa Bay region.”
Pasco County MPO approved a structure May 21 that would give Hillsborough County 10 of the 25 voting seats. Pinellas County would have eight, Pasco County would have five and Port Tampa Bay and Tampa International Airport would each have one.
Voting has been a hot topic in Pinellas County as a previous proposal would have given Hillsborough County 13 voting seats, giving it more than 50% of the vote.
Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, wrote a letter to Forward Pinellas Executive Director Whit Blanton calling for the consideration of moving a Hillsborough seat to Pasco and designating the two seats to the port authority and airport.
Leaders for the port authority and airport also sent letters to the Pinellas County Commissioners expressing the importance of their organizations having a vote on the regional MPO.
These changes were reflected on what Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have voted on.
Pasco County’s five seats on the regional MPO will include four designated for the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and one seat to represent cities, which will rotate among New Port Richey, Port Richey, Zephyrhills and Dade City.
“I like the structure; however, if four commissioners aren’t going to show to a meeting, I want to make sure the other commissioner that’s not going to be on there can go,” Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said. “And if he can’t go, then any of the other cities go.”
This generated some brief discussion about alternates. The Pasco County MPO ultimately decided that voting alternates may come from the cities.
