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County OKs Poll On Land-Buying Program

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 17, 2008

TAMPA - A poll to gauge residents' support of a program that buys land for conservation will go forward with the blessing of the Hillsborough County Commission.

The move could put on the November ballot the issue of extending the tax that funds the program.
County Administrator Pat Bean stopped work on the poll two weeks ago, questioning whether the county has enough money to maintain more acreage purchased under the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Preservation Program. The program has protected more than 40,000 acres from development since 1991.

Bean also had questioned the wisdom of holding a referendum this year to renew the program, which is scheduled to sunset in January 2011. She said asking voters to renew a property tax dedicated to buying undeveloped land would be a hard sell in the anti-tax atmosphere. The county can levy up to 0.25 mills, which equates to about $25 per $100,000 of housing assessed value.

Commissioners, however, told the ELAPP general committee to go forward with the poll, asking only that the commission will get to look at how the survey's questions will be worded. Most of the commissioners also supported putting renewal of the program on the November ballot rather than waiting until 2010.

"I walk these neighborhoods every week, and this is something they bring up to me," Commissioner Jim Norman said. The program "is embraced. I believe that by pure knowledge and the opportunity to work with all these people that it's going to pass."

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at msalinero@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-8303.

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