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Commissioner Blair Seeks To Eliminate Port Tax Assessment

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2008

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair, also a member of the Tampa Port Authority board, called this morning for the port to consider eliminating its Hillsborough County property tax assessment of 19.8 cents per $1,000 valuation.

The rationale would be to provide a break to taxpayers during the difficult economy and perhaps encourage voter approval of continuing the county's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program.

The ELAPP program, created two decades ago to buy land for conservation, is scheduled to end in 2011 unless extended by voters. The county has purchased more than 46,000 acres under the program, and county commissioners are expected to decide Wednesday whether to ask voters in November to approve an additional $200 million for the environmental lands acquisition program.

The port authority staff will prepare a report for the port authority board to consider at its meeting Aug. 19 on the potential effect of reducing or eliminating the property tax.

Tampa Tribune reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or 813-259-7817.

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