Commissioner Says County Has Lots To Do In 2011

Fresh off her win in the November general election, Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri said she's looking forward to a busy fifth and "final term."

With budget cuts, high unemployment and plenty of big development on the horizon for Pasco County, Mulieri, a Republican who represents Land O' Lakes, said she just didn't feel right leaving office before several major projects were tackled.

When asked what the biggest issue facing Pasco is right now, she said, "Pasco County can no longer continue to be a bedroom community."

The projects she's interested in seeing through to completion all center on making sure that it doesn't, she said.

Some of the projects she highlighted as critical include a development study for future planning and growth management. This study breaks up the county into different areas for development, including Urban Service Areas. Land O' Lakes has been identified as a mixed-use type of community, with some parts ripe for urbanization, especially along the State Road 54 corridor. Other parts of the community are envisioned to stay suburban or rural in character.

With an unemployment rate of more than 12 percent and a tightening of the budget on the county level, Mulieri said Pasco has to make changes to stay competitive and help make sure its residents have access to opportunity.

"We're developing a strategic plan … bringing opportunities home," she said.

In order to do so, Pasco has to transform itself into an employment center with plenty of educational opportunities, she said. The addition of Rasmussen College in the Land O' Lakes area and the expansion of Pasco-Hernando Community College in Wesley Chapel will both help. She also said the addition of T. Rowe Price is a feather in the community's cap. That financial services company is in the process of relocating to Land O' Lakes.

"It's not your grandfather's Pasco anymore," she said. "We're looking to the future."

While there's still a lot of work to be done to help ensure Pasco comes out of the recession on top, Mulieri is confident this will happen.

"I do believe Pasco is heading in the right direction," she said.

Mulieri said residents can help make sure that happens.

"Become involved," she said. "Be understanding (of things such as the $2 park fees). We're trying our best. It's hard to be patient, but we really are trying."