NEW PORT RICHEY — Pasco County is considering a new way to finance $300 million worth of flood fixes: Everybody pays.
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5 Months Ago
Nine months ago, commissioners acquiesced to assessing individual property owners who benefit from each of the 300 drainage improvements the county hopes to tackle in the coming years. It would require establishing so-called municipal service benefit units in the geographic areas around each fix and assessing an annual fee based on the expense of the individual project.
But Tuesday, during a daylong work session to devise a strategic plan guiding county operations over the next four years, commissioners heard a different pitch to charge a new countywide fee of $77 a year for drainage construction costs.
County staffers, as they have previously, also suggested that the commission increase the $57 annual storm-water assessment by $23 to clean or replace metal culverts and to maintain overgrown drainage ditches.
In addition, they said the county should bump that same assessment another $15 to cover $4.4 million in engineering costs for the first 10 drainage projects. The county is asking the Southwest Florida Water Management District to split the $38.2 million construction expenses for those projects, which include building retention ponds on a former golf course at Magnolia Valley and improving drainage in the west Pasco neighborhoods of Gulf Highlands, Holiday Hills, Forest Hills, Sea Pines, Riverside Village and Colonial Oaks, and in the area of Zephyr Creek outside the city of Zephyrhills in east Pasco.
Combined, the storm-water assessment and new drainage construction charge would equal a $115 fee increase. Commissioners were noncommittal, in part, because other department heads also requested increased funding for park maintenance, enhanced recycling, residential street paving and other needs.
"We talked about a lot of fees this morning. If they all come to fruition at once, our residents are going to get punched in the face,” said commission Chairman Mike Moore. "We’ve got to be careful.”
The commission’s newest member, Ron Oakley, who was elected in November, said prior boards had put off making difficult decisions.
"It’s got to halt,” he said. "We have Aresbet to be responsible.”
Oakley could become the swing vote on the storm-water assessment. Mariano and Commissioner Kathryn Starkey voted for higher fees last summer, but were on the short end of a 3-2 vote.
Over the past 13 months, a commission majority has balked at setting up new taxing districts and increasing countywide assessments to pay for the flood fixes. In April, a commission majority agreed to create the so-called municipal service benefit units, but not without some reluctance.
"There was not a consensus, to be honest with each other,” Moore said.
The county approved the Magnolia Valley district last year, but did not begin charging an assessment. Mariano dissented, saying at the time he disagreed with the district’s boundaries.
Repairing Pasco’s antiquated drainage systems has become a top county priority after heavy rain triggered widespread residential flooding each of the past two summers. In 2016, Hurricane Hermine brought up to 22 inches of rain to the gulf coast, damaging or destroying 300 homes in west Pasco.
The county has identified 93 drainage projects costing, on average, $1 million apiece and has extrapolated a final price tag of $300 million for 300 projects. The price will keep increasing as the county gets better cost estimates, said public works director Mike Garrett.
Though any new fees wouldn’t become effective until Oct. 1, commissioners may have to expedite their decision. The water district governing board is scheduled to meet next week in Tampa to collect public input on capital construction projects pending in the 16-county district. Pasco likely will need to have the $4.4 million in engineering money identified by Oct. 1, and start collecting the $77 fee the following year if the water district agrees to sharing costs on all 10 projects.
Commissioners are expected to consider the higher fees again during their Feb. 21 meeting in New Port Richey.
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