The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Wells Jr.

CORRECTED: Pasco County looks for ways to boost recycling

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A corrected version of this story appears below. Pasco County’s waste-to-energy facility at Shady Hills burns trash to produce renewable energy. Recyclables are not burned, but processed and sold to market. This information was incorrect in the original cutline of a photo and in the story. A correction also will appear in the Dec. 7 publication of  The Laker/Lutz News.

Pasco County faces a double dilemma.

First, how does the county get more residents to recycle?

The county plans to post a survey online early next year seeking public input on what it would take to boost residents’ 27 percent participation rate in curbside recycling.

Answers to that survey could help to shape the solution to the other half of the dilemma.

A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility, where recyclables are burned to produce renewable energy. (Courtesy of Pasco County)
A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

How can Pasco find $190 million to expand its waste-to-energy plant at Shady Hills that burns trash and produces renewable energy?

The county doesn’t have that money. It’s not even close.

About $48 million sits in the county’s solid waste’s reserve budget, but that covers any potential expenditure for solid waste.

More recycling could reduce landfill disposal costs and mean a delay in expanding Shady Hill’s facility beyond 2030.

Members of the county’s solid waste department presented options at a public workshop on Nov. 15. Those options include a $2 to the annual assessment.

Developers also could possibly see an increase in solid waste impact fees that would be offset with an equivalent decrease in water impact fees.

The long-range goal is to build up funds for the expansion costs.

“The further we put it out, the more it’s going to cost,” said Flip Mellinger, assistant county administer for utilities. “Either way, it’s not going away.”

A decision on the fees, as well as other options, won’t likely come until more discussion in 2017.

The workshop was presented to a commission that is n a state of transition.

Only three current commissioners attended – Mike Moore, Mike Wells Jr., and Jack Mariano. Pasco Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey had a scheduling conflict and Commissioner-elect Ron Oakley, attended, but had not yet been sworn in.

Ted Schrader decided not to seek re-election, but instead made an unsuccessful run for property appraiser. His last meeting was Nov. 9.

Commissioners agreed to pursue a community survey on residents’ recycling preferences. But, a proposed list of questions will be reviewed, with more discussion with staff members on a final document.

Residents probably will see the survey in early 2017 when it is posted online to the county’s website, PascoCounty.gov, and the county’s mobile application, MyPasco.

The survey is expected to attempt to determine how often people use curbside recycling, trash pickups, the county’s drop-off recycling centers and what kinds of materials are recycled.

It also asks if residents would give up one day of trash pickup a week in order to have recycling once a week at no additional charge. Or, would residents be willing to pay more to have two days of trash pickup and one day a week of recycling.

Currently, about 27 percent of residents participate in curbside recycling. That is a somewhat higher number since June when the county added cardboard and paper to a list of approved items for recycling pickup. In each month since then, recycling grew by about 100 tons a month or more.

“It was a significant jump, but not where we need to be,” Mellinger said.

The goal is to boost recycling by 10 percent a year by 2030, or 48,000 tons with no changes to the current program. However, an expanded recycling program would aim for a goal of 35 percent more recycling per year by 2030, or 168,000 tons per year.

The current amount recycled annually is about 4,200 tons a year, or about 1.4 percent of all solid waste collections.

An educational program could be done in-house or by hiring an outside communications firm.

Giving carts to residents also is seen as a way to significantly boost recycling.

But, solid waste officials also said one-day-a-week trash pickup encourages people to make use of one-day-a-week recycling programs that provide carts.

Short of that, a two-day-a-week trash pickup, with one day for recycling would work, if residents pay more, but should be seen as an interim way to reach the “one/one” option.

Moore said he would expect pushback from residents on going to one day each for trash and recycling. “I don’t think that’s a great idea,” he said. “I think we’d take a lot of hits from citizens.”

An increase in fees also is doubtful, he said.

Wells noted a program in Clearwater for one day each of trash and recycling pickups, and carts. It got off to a slow start, with some resistance from residents. But, he said the program eventually boosted recycling by about 20 percent.

“It really comes down to education,” Wells said. “There’s no doubt we need to do a better job with education.”

Published November 3o, 2016

Digital billboards illuminate controversy

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Stand-alone, static billboards litter the highways and roadways across Pasco County despite a 17-year-ban on permitting new billboards.

Dismantling and removing many of these outdoor signs is a longstanding goal of county officials who want to reduce what they view as visual blight on county roads.

But, in a high technology world, the wave of the future is illuminated digital billboards that flip through multiple advertisements in seconds, and at night, illuminate the skyline while motorists zip by.

(CreativeOutlet.com)
(CreativeOutlet.com)

Owners of outdoor advertising companies are hoping to strike a deal with Pasco County commissioners to swap out some static billboards in return for installing a smaller number of digital billboards.

But, working out a formula for the trade-off is proving to be difficult.

On a 3-2 vote on Nov. 9, the Pasco County Commission decided to postpone a decision on the proposed ordinance for 30 days to allow additional negotiations.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey took a tough stance on the matter — while commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Mike Wells Jr., favored the delay.

“I think you guys are being played by a savvy industry,” Starkey said. “Why do we have to give them everything they want?”

The ordinance, if approved, would amend an existing one that bans new billboards. It also would add rules for companies seeking to convert static signs to digital ones.

The proposed formula is based on total square footage, not billboard structures or sign faces. It would result in removing about 10 billboards for every digital billboard that is installed.

Industry representatives lobbied for a five-to-one ratio, which they say would make the swap-out profitable for their companies, including Clear Channel, OUTFRONT Media and The Champion Family of Companies.

County staff members previously backed off an initial proposal for a 14-to-1 ratio.

There’s also disagreement over the rotation cycle for advertisements. The county set a limit of 30 seconds, while industry representatives favor 8 seconds.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said industry input would be key to making the ordinance work.

“I would like to see some of your static billboards come down,” he said. “But, I don’t want to pass something and you’re not going to participate.”

County data shows there are 133 static billboards on U.S. 19.

The next highest count is on State Road 54, with 66 billboards, followed by U.S. 41, with 53; State Road 52, with 46; and Interstate 75 with 33. In total, the billboard structures account for about 172,000 square feet of advertising.

But, the 10-to-1 ratio just isn’t doable and could mean no static billboards will come down, said Tom O’Neill, local vice president for real estate and public affairs for Clear Channel Outdoors.

“I’m not saying you’re trying to be egregious, but you’ve got to get it closer to what we need,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader pointed out that it was industry representatives who pushed for the ordinance, not residents or chambers of commerce. He offered an 8-to-1 ratio compromise, but got no takers.

“I don’t know how this helps our local businesses,” he said.  “To me it’s sort of the tail wagging the dog.”

Schrader suggested voting on the ordinance with the 10-to-1 ratio and giving it a chance to work.

He criticized industry representatives for missing a meeting with county staff to discuss the ordinance prior to the hearing. They did meet individually with some commissioners, he said.

“They chose not to lobby me, because they knew I couldn’t be persuaded,” Schrader said.

Wells Jr., who supported the delay, had a warning for industry representatives.  “If you don’t meet with them (staff), I’m done, too,” he said.

The Nov. 9 commission meeting in New Port Richey was Schrader’s last meeting, after 16 years on the board.

His seat will be filled by Ron Oakley, who won the District 1 race on Nov. 8.

Published November 23, 2016

Uniting Pasco with love, from The Angelus

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As sure as armadillos tear up gardens and raw kumquats pucker lips, this much is verifiable about Pasco County: Despite what its borders suggest, the massive slab of real estate that squats atop Hillsborough and Pinellas is not one county, but instead is at least two, if not three, each neatly defined by a north-south thoroughfare.

Skip Schaer and Mike Mezrah, who owns Tampa Bay Sporting Clays. (Photos courtesy of Tammy Williams)
Skip Schaer and Mike Mezrah, who owns Tampa Bay Sporting Clays.
(Photos courtesy of Tammy Williams)

You know how it works. East-siders cluster around U.S. 301. West-siders rarely venture past Little Road. And, that leaves those in the center to squabble over where Land O’ Lakes — which, as you very well know, was here first — ends and upstart Wesley Chapel begins.

All this (generally good-natured) geographic division accounts for much of why there’s a county fair in Dade City and a remarkably similar festival in New Port Richey, and, more pragmatically, why there are essentially duplicated east and west county government offices.

Nothing, outside the occasional election, seems capable of bringing Pasco together.

Except, perhaps, this: The Angelus, a group home for severely handicapped people, has demonstrated uniquely how to bridge Pasco’s recalcitrant divide. Relocated from St. Petersburg to Hudson in 1986, The Angelus has episodically united not just Pasco, but the entire region on its behalf.

That season of unity is approaching once more, and once more, we are caught up in the magic of what individuals, pulling together on behalf of the less fortunate among us, can achieve.

Charlie Daniels talks to a resident of The Angelus.
Charlie Daniels talks to a resident of The Angelus.

In that spirit, three devoted west-siders — proving there is life east of Little Road, and even the Suncoast Parkway — gathered recently in the shade of the breeze-swept pavilion at Tampa Bay Shooting Clays and Archery, a remote destination that, nonetheless, occasionally becomes Pasco’s throbbing heart.

Assembled around a newly assembled picnic table on a gentle October afternoon hinting at autumn, the place smelled of fresh-cut wood and anticipation.

These three — raconteur and events director Tammy Williams, Port Richey businessman Steve Farrell and county Commissioner Mike Wells Jr. — had come far at the behest of Land O’ Lakes developer Skip Schaer to tout the virtues of Charliepalooza 2016 (for the headliner, country music star Charlie Daniels), No. 26 if you’re keeping score at home.

Instead, they kept drifting back to the extraordinary things that happen every day at The Angelus, where perfectly bright people, locked by sheer happenstance into substandard bodies, see their dreams nurtured, hopes encouraged, efforts rewarded, delights shared and disappointments comforted.

Dazzling. Remarkable. Bracing. Enchanting.

Much of what is achieved there, as the foundation’s literature likes to point out, comes from unalloyed love. The rest of the operation, however, takes money — large piles of the stuff — and the board’s efforts are both tireless and unending.

This is where even those who rarely, perhaps never, set foot on the far side of Starkey Park come in. This year’s three-day affair (Dec. 1 to Dec. 3) has the right stuff to conjure up a generous holiday mood. For golfers, there’s a pairing party (plus a mini-concert) that Thursday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, followed the next day by a golf tournament at Hunter’s Green in New Tampa, plus an awards dinner (and a mini-concert) that night.

Charliepalooza moves that Saturday (Dec. 3) to Tampa Bay Shooting Clays, in the Ehren Cutoff bend, and wraps that night with a full-blown concert at the Dallas Bull, about a mile south of the Florida State Fairgrounds on U.S. 301. Headlined by Daniels himself, the event features Montgomery Gentry, Confederate Railroad and, from Hudson, the Embry Brothers Band.

Here’s why we came to the range: As extraordinary as each phase has been over the years, the Saturday of blasting away at clay targets — entering its fourth year — has begun to emerge as the linchpin.

“It’s a big challenge, like golf,” Wells says. “But, it’s quicker than golf.” And, not to put too fine a point on it, “I’m better at it than I am at golf.”

Better still, there’s no telling who you’re likely to bump into. A NASCAR driver, maybe a NASCAR crew chief. Buccaneer Super Bowl hero Mike Alstott is a regular. Cartoonist Guy Gilchrist. You might even catch Daniels himself going incognito, swapping his Stetson for an identity-disguising ball cap.

Reiterates Williams, “You never know who’s going to show up.”

Well. Remember that part how The Angelus, for its remote locale, brings Pascoans together? He’s not what you’d call a celebrity, exactly, but well-known rancher-developer J.D. Porter, of Wiregrass notoriety, has vowed to field at least one team of Saturday shooters.

And, as he has in the past, Paul Harvey — of Harvey’s Hardware on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard — is conspiring with Case on an assortment of unique collector’s knives for auction. Imagine that: the knives that bind.

The bridge to a tighter, better Pasco is there. All we have to do is cross it. Begin by investigating your Charliepalooza options at TheAngelus.com, or by calling Tammy Williams at (727) 243-8293.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Pasco 911 center needs improvement

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The merger of 911 operations between Pasco County and the sheriff’s office is a work-in-progress, and no one would say it has been without problems.

But County Administrator Michele Baker and Sheriff Chris Nocco say they will try to mend what Nocco describes as a “broken partnership.”

That could mean tweaking the nearly two-year-old agreement that brought the emergency call center under the county’s supervision.

“We’ll sit down immediately and go through the interlocal agreement and bring something back (to the commissioners),” said Baker in response to criticisms about the call center’s operations.

Nocco would like management hires for the center to be shared equally between his office and the county, with each having a veto. His immediate concern is hiring a director. The position has been vacant since the resignation of its first director in September.

Nocco also wants a lieutenant from his office to be named assistant director. Baker said she supports the request, calling it “brilliant.” She also assured Nocco he would be consulted on the director’s selection.

The sheriff brought his concerns about the call center to county commissioners at their March 24 meeting. First responders, including deputies and firefighters, filled the boardroom.

“That’s all we want is a partnership,” Nocco said. “The reason we are speaking up is because the partnership has failed.”

Among complaints were a lack of leadership, training, quality control and urgency in responding to 911 calls.

Nocco and some of his deputies cited troubling incidents.

They said a deputy was sent to the wrong address. A dispatcher delayed passing along a resident’s tip that might have led to the arrest of a murder suspect. A dispatcher advised a woman caller to step outside her house to see if a man armed with a knife was still present. A dispatcher ignored a deputy’s request for backup at a crime scene. And residents have complained about unanswered and dropped calls.

“Those are unfortunate situations, and our operators were wrong,” Baker said

But she defended the overall progress and operations of the call center.

It meets industry standards with more than 99 percent of calls answered within 20 seconds, she said.

“The staff who work in that communications center are great people,” Baker said. “They are feeling a little maligned right now because they are struggling.”

Prior to the merger, Baker as then-assistant county administrator participated in a study of other call centers that dealt with consolidation. Generally the process took three years to four years, Baker said.

Pasco opted to accelerate that time frame and is now a year-and-a-half into the merger, she added.

On March 31, eight new hires were scheduled to begin working at the call center. New dispatching software also is ready for use. And she said 100 percent of staff members are cross-trained in working with law enforcement, medical and fire rescue calls.

“Are they really experienced yet? Not so much,” Baker said. “But it takes time to become comfortable.”

Nocco said training for new hires is insufficient, and some basics, such as drug testing, are overlooked.

Commissioner Mike Wells Jr., said he found the hiring and training process for the call center “alarming. We need to relook at these things. We need the best of the best.”

Published April 1, 2015

Charter advisory panel all white, mostly male

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A 15-member charter advisory panel that will decide the future of Pasco County’s governing structure is in place. And Pasco commissioners approved a contract to pay a private Tallahassee consultant $60,000 to guide its efforts during the coming months.

Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore
Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore

But the panel’s all white, and nearly all-male make-up came under fire at the commissioners regular meeting in Dade City on March 10.  Each Pasco County Commissioner appointed two members, plus an alternate to the panel. Pasco’s five state legislators also weighed in, with one appointment each.

Commissioner Mike Moore got some pushback for his selection of a county law enforcement officer supervised by Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco.

“I have concerns with a member of (Nocco’s) team being on the committee,” said Chairman Ted Schrader. “I think it would be appropriate to replace him with someone else.”

Moore defended Pasco Maj. Mel Eakley as the right choice based on Eakley’s credentials in law enforcement and his service as a military veteran.

“I kind of take offense to saying we don’t want anyone on the board who is an everyday average citizen,” he said.

Schrader said he wasn’t questioning Eakley’s qualifications.

Other commissioners and Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano also questioned Moore’s choice of Eakley.

Pasco Chairman Ted Schrader
Pasco Chairman Ted Schrader

“Perception is everything, ladies and gentlemen,” said Fasano in a public comment to the commission. He questioned the appointment of anyone “associated with constitutional officers.”

But no one made a formal challenge to Eakley’s appointment.

“I respect Mr. Moore,” Schrader said. “I’m really disappointed in his choice. I think it’s a conflict of interest, but it’s your choice.”

The lone woman on the panel will be banker Candace Glewen. She is a replacement for Commissioner Kathryn Starkey’s first choice of Pasco County School Board member Alison Crumbley. Crumbley declined the appointment upon the advice of the school board’s attorney who cited the potential for a conflict of interest.

Commissioner Jack Mariano appointed a woman, Cami Austin, as an alternate.

Former commissioner Pat Mulieri took the commissioners to task for not appointing a more balanced panel to represent the community. “It is ironic,” she said during public comment. “I was supposed to speak at a luncheon (today) celebrating women.”

The panel will tackle critical issues, such as whether Pasco County should have single-member voting districts, term limits and whether the county’s structure should be changed to have an elected administrator rather than one that’s appointed.

Mulieri wondered: ”Why did the board feel only men could make these decisions?”

She also questioned the $60,000 cost “for a consultant you don’t need. I’m standing here today to tell you it will go to $100,000.”

The cost for services from Kurt Spitzer & Associates potentially could exceed $60,000 if the panel requests additional work or travel beyond the flat fee of $5,000 a month, said County Administrator Michele Baker. The fixed rate includes travel for 12 months for approximately 22 to 24 meetings, she said.

Moore suggested panel members might not need a consultant beyond the early organizational meetings. “That’s a pretty large consulting fee in my mind,” he said. “I think you need to leave it up to the committee.”

Baker said the terms of the contract allow Spitzer to terminate his service with a 30-day notice. It also allows the panel to cancel his services immediately upon written notice.

Moore and Commissioner Jack Mariano floated a proposal to allow panel members to approve recommendations based on a simple majority, but Starkey, Schrader and Wells said the requirement of a super-majority vote was essential.

The panel must meet within the next 30 days.

Its recommendations are due to the commission by June 1, 2016.  If the panel recommends a charter government, the matter would go to voters in a referendum on the November 2016 general election ballot.

Members of the Pasco County charter advisory panel
Commission Chairman Ted Schrader appointed Billy E. Brown and John J. Gallagher to the panel, with Cliff McDuffie, as alternate

Commissioner Mike Moore appointed Mel Eakley and Gary Bradford, with Joseph Poblick, as alternate

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey appointed Candace Glewen and Dewey Mitchell, with Dominic Scannavino, as alternate

Commissioner Mike Wells Jr., appointed Steve Booth and Tim Holladay, with Jim Driscoll, as alternate

Commissioner Jack Mariano appointed Chuck Grey and Bill Woodard, with Cami Austin, as alternate

Members of the Pasco County legislative delegation appointed Michael Cox, Robert Eckard, John Kinsman, Randy Maggard and Mike Ryan

Published March 18, 2015

MPO keeps elevated road on county transportation plan

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A group that spent months successfully fighting a privately built elevated toll road through the heart of Pasco County got a bit of a setback last week. But its members seem to be OK with it … for now.

Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)
Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)

Pasco County’s 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan is on its way to both federal and state authorities, highlighting the county’s plan for roads, transit and sidewalks over the next 25 years. And among the various needs the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization included in that transportation plan are elevated roads along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

“We knew the (transportation plan) would still contain the elevated toll road,” said Jason Amerson, a Land O’ Lakes resident who was one of the key players in the elevated toll road protest group, Pasco Fiasco. “It’s not something we are worried about unless they start actively discussing it again at MPO meetings.”

Pasco Fiasco came together last year after some homeowners who live just off State Road 54 learned about a proposal by a private company, International Infrastructure Partners LLC, to build a 33-mile elevated toll road, stretching from U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The company had said initially it would fund the estimated $2.2 billion project on its own, but then lost its negotiating power with the Florida Department of Transportation after it requested the state help finance it.

That killed the private project, but an elevated road option remained in the county’s transportation plan. While then Pasco County commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., vowed to help Pasco Fiasco and others against an elevated road down State Road 54 remove such projects from the plan, Wilson was defeated in an open primary election last October by Mike Wells Jr.

“It’s not a simple task getting it removed,” Amerson said. “Probably even a harder task now that Wilson is gone.”

The elevated road remains an option for the county between 2020 and 2040 along the State Road 54/56 corridor as an “alternative improvement.” That could include “premium transit improvements” like toll lanes, overpasses like those used on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County, and elevated lanes.

The elevated road stayed in the plan, but the MPO did make more than 30 other changes to the documents after two months of public hearings. The MPO conducted a 30-day comment period through Nov. 23, as well as public workshops throughout November. It concluded with a public hearing on Dec. 11 where the new transportation plan was adopted unanimously.

Many adjustments to the plan were minor, like name changes of some roads at Bexley Ranch near the Suncoast Parkway, and Mitchell Boulevard near the Little Road area.

But there also were some larger changes as well. They included:

  • Moving up the six-lane expansion of State Road 52 from Interstate 75 to Pasco Road from 2040 to 2019.
  • Delaying another 10 years to 2040 projects like Livingston Avenue from State Road 54 to Collier Parkway, Eiland Boulevard from Handcart to Dean Dairy roads, Curley Road from Wells Road to Clinton Avenue, and Lake Patience Road from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41.
  • Keeping the State Road 56 expansion from Meadow Pointe to U.S. 301 two lanes instead of four by 2019, but possibly expanding it to four lanes by 2030.

That last proposal angered city leaders in Zephyrhills, who wanted four lanes leading into one of its key commercial areas, the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Lawmakers like new state representative and former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess said they would work with the city to try and restore funding for a four-lane segment.

The MPO also made a number of changes to Tower Road, which runs primarily east to west in Pasco, just north of State Road 54. They include developer-funded improvements like a two-lane stretch from Bexley Ranch to Ballantrae Boulevard, and an expansion to a two-lane road from U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff by 2040, paid for by the county.

The Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Florida Department of Transportation will now review the plan, and work with the county to help implement it.

To read the complete plan, visit Mobility2040Pasco.com.

See this story in print: Click Here

Schrader elected chair of county commission

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Ted Schrader is back in a familiar seat with the Pasco County Commission after being elected chair of the county’s governing body.

Schrader, based in District 1 covering large parts of the eastern side of the county, was chair of the commission in the 2012-13 session, and then stepped aside this past year for fellow commissioner Jack Mariano. The chair position typically rotates among the commissioners, leading meetings and representing the board as a whole to the public.

Henry Wilson Jr. was in line to become the next chair, but lost his re-election bid to Mike Wells Jr. during an open primary in August. That had opened the door to a possible chairmanship by Kathryn Starkey. However, she immediately nominated Schrader for the job Tuesday morning in Dade City, and her motion won a unanimous approval.

Starkey was elected the vice chair, officially making her a top contender for the position next year.

The commission also swore in its two new members, Wells and Mike Moore. Wells will take over District 4 previously served by Wilson, while Moore will represent District 2, which Pat Mulieri served for 20 years.

Moore, Wells sworn into commission seats Tuesday

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The Pasco County Commission will welcome two new commissioners to its dais Tuesday, and at the same time decide whether Jack Mariano will get another term as commission chair, or if someone new will be selected.

Mike Moore and Mike Wells Jr., will be officially sworn into office today during the commission’s regular meeting in Dade City. Moore won the Nov. 4 election against Erika Remsberg to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2. Wells, on the other hand, defeated District 4 incumbent Henry Wilson Jr., during an open Republican primary last August to win a spot on the same commission his father once served.

Both will officially assume their duties soon after the opening gavel falls at 10 a.m., immediately followed by the commission’s election of officers. Wilson was the vice chair of the commission, and had been the presumptive next-in-line for the commission chairmanship. However, with his election defeat and two new commissioners coming on board, it’s most likely either Mariano will serve another year as chair, or those duties could shift to Kathryn Starkey.

Ted Schrader, the other returning commissioner from last year, was the chair beginning in the 2012 session, and it’s a job that historically rotated among the commissioners.

Mariano’s chairmanship has drawn some controversy from other commissioners this past year, beginning in his first week when he drafted a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, asking him to intervene in environmental problems facing a westside park through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Commissioners like Schrader and Starkey said the letter was not cleared through the rest of the board, despite representing what Mariano claimed was its position, and could create more problems for SunWest Park through federal regulators in the future.

Mariano took more heat on SunWest earlier this year when Schrader and Mulieri walked out of a meeting after spending two hours listening to public comment on SunWest. They accused Mariano of packing the speakers to help change the commission’s mind on how much they would fund the project. Commissioners had earlier voted to spend less than Mariano had requested on the project.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Burgess heads to Tallahassee, Moore wins commission race

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Mike Moore raised a lot of money in his quest to become a member of the Pasco County Commission, but even he knew with Pasco’s history of upsets in commission races, there never was a guarantee.

Yet, Moore’s fundraising and campaign both paid off, as he won the last open seat on the commission, and will keep retiring Pat Mulieri’s seat in Republican hands.

With 97 percent of precincts reporting in Pasco just after 8:30 p.m., Moore had a 59-41 lead — or more than 26,600 votes — separating him from Democratic challenger Erika Remsberg. Moore will now join Mike Wells Jr. as new members of the commission, after Wells ousted Henry Wilson Jr. in the open primary last August.

Moore earned endorsements from various government and civic leaders, but could not pick them up from media outlets that offered them, or even the outgoing Mulieri, who chose to cross party lines and endorse Remsberg instead.

The state House seat representing the eastern and central parts of Pasco also stays in Republican hands after former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess defeated retired teacher Beverly Ledbetter 60-40. That race was to decide who would replace House Speaker Will Weatherford, who is stepping down because of term limits.

Like Moore, Burgess also dominated in fundraising, raising more than $160,000, compared to $38,600 from Ledbetter. However, both candidates took a little heat in the days leading up to the election for not spending more of those dollars within their district. Burgess also took some hits for accepting money from Duke Energy, which has received negative attention in the last few months over charging customers for two nuclear power plants that no longer exist.

The tight race for governor proved to be especially tight in Pasco. Although Charlie Crist maintained a slim lead through early votes and absentees, Rick Scott flipped that with Election Day voting, and ended up winning Pasco by a very small, 47-45 advantage. That was the difference of 2,300 votes.

Adrian Wyllie, the Libertarian in the race, garnered 7 percent of the votes.

Pasco County’s elections supervisor Brian Corley said there were still some long lines waiting at precincts even after 7 p.m. when polls were supposed to close, including at Rasmussen College on State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

If the rest of the state follows Pasco’s leads, then the only state constitutional amendment expected to pass is Amendment 1, which would allow Florida to enhance its conservation land holdings. The medical marijuana amendment did get 58 percent support in Pasco, but it needs 60 percent to pass.

Mulieri endorses new replacement, crosses party lines

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No one could ever accuse Pat Mulieri of simply following the herd.

Two months ago, she took a stand in the Republican primary, endorsing underdog Bob Robertson from a group of candidates looking to replace her on the Pasco County Commission.

Pat Mulieri
Pat Mulieri

Robertson lost the primary, so that left the door open for Mulieri to choose yet another underdog — one that is not even a Republican.

Although she stopped short of giving her official endorsement, Mulieri has at least thrown her support behind the Democrat in the county commission District 2 race: Erika Remsberg. It also marked the second time Mulieri chose not to go with the race’s frontrunner — at least financially — Republican Mike Moore.

“I met with Erika,” Mulieri told The Laker/Lutz News. “She is bright, knowledgeable and caring. We have quite a bit in common,” including being from New York, and earning master’s degrees from New York-based schools.

Mulieri also liked the fact Remsberg is a teacher, who works as a liaison to homeless children.

“The next years, there will be many exciting changes in Pasco,” Mulieri said. “The new commissioners have to be ready to do the job. She will respond to citizens and work to solve problems. I believe she will keep learning. She may not have all the answers, but will work to resolve issues.”

Remsberg said she was humbled by Mulieri’s backing.

“Pat has told me she is supporting me, and that she and (husband) Jimmy are both voting for me,” Remsberg said. “I spent a couple hours with her at (Pasco County Animal Services) talking about the county, talking about the commission, and county goals.”

Remsberg has received help from another former commissioner as well. Michael Cox is actually the last Democrat to serve on the board until Henry Wilson Jr. ousted him in 2010. Wilson lost his seat in August in an open primary against another Republican, Mike Wells Jr.

While she won’t name names, Remsberg said others from across the aisle are boosting her as well.

“I am getting more support from Republican voters,” she said. “I believe that my bipartisan message is resonating with people from both parties.”

Moore, who out-spent Remsberg more than 19-to-1 in the campaign, said Thursday in a statement that he is honored to receive the support of many government and community leaders, listing nearly 20 of them. They included Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco, state Sen. Wilton Simpson — who also has made sizable contributions to Moore’s campaign — and groups like the Pasco County Professional Firefighters Local 4420, and West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association.

The differences between Democrat and Republican did not faze Mulieri in deciding to support Remsberg, the retiring commissioner said.

“We may have some philosophical differences, but she will be the people’s commissioner, and that is needed,” Mulieri said. “Someone to listen, find answers, and realize that commissioners work for the citizens. They are our boss.”

This story was updated 10/16/2014, at 6:10 p.m., to include comment from Mike Moore.