Renewed Penny for Pasco Would Fund Road, Infrastructure Projects

Since 2005, Pasco County residents have dipped a little deeper in their pockets when they bought just about anything except groceries or prescriptions.

The millions from an extra penny in sales tax have gone to improve intersections, expand schools, secure environmentally sensitive land, put laptops in squad cards and even buy defibrillators.

Now, school and county officials are gearing up to ask Pasco County voters to approve the tax again as its 10-year lifespan ends New Year’s Eve in 2014.

Called the Penny for Pasco, the voluntary additional 1 cent in sales tax is expected to generate $143 million by the time it expires in 2014.

Money from the tax with the official name of Local Government Infrastructure Surtax is divided almost evenly between the county and school district.

County commissioners have started the long process of getting the tax proposal on the November election ballot so county voters can decide whether to continue the levy that brings the sales tax in Pasco to 7 percent.

Many surrounding counties have a similar, self-imposed sales tax.

To get the question on the ballot, cities, which get a portion of the tax revenue, the school board and the county commission have to complete an agreement and produce a wish list of what projects will be done if the tax is extended, said Deborah Bolduc, program administrator for Pasco County Engineering Services.

Commissioners are expected to meet with the school board this week and have a draft resolution for the ballot by later this month, she said. The whole process has to be wrapped up by August, although commissioners are shooting for July.

The same restrictions would apply to the new levy as the existing tax, she said. The money can only be used for capital projects, not for maintenance, salaries or any cost that reoccurs. Cities are also held to the same spending rules.

Penny For Pasco Funds Could Top $500 Million Next Cycle

County estimates place the proposed new tax revenue over 10 years at $502 million, though Bolduc said that could change as the county refines the estimate every year.

Of that, the county and school district would each get 45 percent, or $226 million with the county’s six cities splitting the remaining 10 percent with each city’s share based on population.

The projections put New Port Richey’s share at $18 million, which is an increase over the $13 million the city should receive by the time the existing tax expires.

Because the Land O’ Lakes area is unincorporated, there is no exact amount that can be pinpointed from the tax, Bolduc said.

Of the county’s share, commissioners propose spending 20 percent on public safety, with the $45 million divided evenly between the sheriff and emergency services. Another 20 percent would go to buy environmentally desirable land for preservation.

Another 20 percent of the county’s share would spur economic development, a category that isn’t in the existing tax spending plan.

The rest of the county’s portion, or $90 million, would go to transportation improvements with many aimed at increasing safety, such as intersection improvements, traffic lights and signals at fire stations, turn lanes and bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Penny for Pasco Paid for Roads, Schools

Around Land O’ Lakes, the current tax levy has paid for improvements at the intersection of Collier Parkway and Weeks Boulevard and improvements at State Road 52 and Moon Lake Road are being designed.

The school district spent the tax money for Oakstead Elementary School and for Sunlake High and Charles Rushe Middle schools off State Road 54.

For New Port Richey residents, the most recent sign of Penny for Pasco spending were improvements along Main Street between Rowan Road and Congress Street that included installing center turn lanes and a sidewalk 6 feet wide on the south side of the street. The city and county used the tax money to split the $4.7 million project cost.

The school district used the money for improvements at Gulf Middle and Gulf High schools.

Among the traffic improvements eyed for the Land O’ Lakes area if the new tax is approved are accident reduction changes at Ehren Cutoff, an emergency fire traffic signal at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard and intersection improvements at State Road 52 and U.S. 41.

Around New Port Richey, transportation work is expected to include projects at Cecilia and Baillie drives and Rowan Road and Massachusetts Avenue.

New Port Richey city officials also unveiled a wishlist of desired Pemny for Pasco projects last week.