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Land-Buying Panel Urges Referendum

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2008

TAMPA - The future of Hillsborough County's conservation land-buying program, which has preserved more than 46,000 acres since 1990, likely will be decided by voters in November.

The Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program was created by public referendum almost two decades ago but is scheduled to end in 2011 unless extended by voters.

On Monday, the committee that guides the land-buying program recommended asking voters to approve an additional $200 million in funding for the program. County commissioners will make the final call Wednesday, but several commissioners already have said they would lean heavily on the committee's recommendation.

The committee acted after hearing the results of a poll taken last week that showed 48 percent in favor of extending the program through a $200 million bond issue. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents opposed the measure and 20 percent were undecided.

The poll also showed a significant majority, 67 percent, knew little or nothing about the land-buying program.

"We think there's a good chance of winning," said Will Abberger, an associate director with the Trust for Public Land, a conservation organization. His organization hired the polling agency with $15,000 raised privately in the county.

Whether the poll would be taken was in doubt earlier this year. County Administrator Pat Bean had suggested postponing the poll, saying the timing was poor to ask voters to approve the extension of a property tax. Commissioners, though, told the committee to move forward with the poll.
Board member Mariella Smith suggested voters should be asked to support a larger bond issue. The 1990 referendum that began the program included a $100 million bond issue paid for by up to a quarter mill property tax assessment, or 25 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

Abberger said the percentage of people who supported extending the program plummeted to 38 percent when asked to support a $300 million bond issue. A $200 million bond issue would cost the owner of a $200,000 house $27.40 in annual property tax, compared with $41 a year for a $300 million bond issue.

"The $200 million seemed politically palatable; the $300 million is not," Abberger said.

Kurt Gremley, who handles the environmental land acquisitions for the county, said the $200 million could be "stretched" to $300 million or more with matching state grants from the Florida Forever and Florida Communities Trust programs.

Gremley said ELAPP committees have identified about 44,000 acres still in private ownership that are desirable for preservation. With prices of such land in Hillsborough running from $17,000 to $50,000 an acre, the county may have to go back to voters to approve another bond issue.

"In other counties we've been back to the voters multiple times for additional funding," Abberger said.

If county commissioners approve the ballot measure Wednesday, the committee will work with The Trust for Public Land, the Tampa Bay Conservancy and other groups to campaign for the program.

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

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