Pasco County is recruiting volunteers for the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee.
The nine-member board oversees the Penny for Pasco sales tax program, including the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund.
Duties include reviewing proposed Penny for Pasco projects to ensure they will create new jobs and boost economic growth.
The deadline to apply is Dec. 13. Applicants should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Economic Growth Manager David Engel at .
Members are appointed by the Pasco County Board of Commission for one- or two-year terms.
The committee meets, at minimum, on a quarterly basis. Also, an annual report is presented to county commissioners.
Members represent county industries, such as finance/banking, agriculture, real estate, and manufacturing, and other private industries.
Voters approved the penny sales tax in 2004 for city, county and school board improvements. It was renewed in 2012 for another 10 years. The county created the trust fund in 2015 specifically for targeted industry jobs and economic development that boosts the local economy. It generates about $60 million annually.
Projects paid with the penny tax include sheriff’s vehicles and equipment; conservation land purchases; transportation improvements, such as road construction and intersection upgrades; and various district school construction.
In the first round of Penny for Pasco revenues totaled more than $320 million, according to the county’s website. From January 2015 to Dec. 31, 2024, revenues are expected to reach about $700 million.
Published December 09, 2020
